Now Reading: Pilots body urges PM Modi to create independent aviation regulator
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Pilots body urges PM Modi to create independent aviation regulator
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create an autonomous statutory Civil Aviation Authority to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In a proposal…
The Story in Brief
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create an autonomous statutory Civil Aviation Authority to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In a proposal dated August 6, the FIP argued that India, now the third-largest domestic aviation market, needs a modern regulatory framework to keep pace with rapid industry growth. The DGCA's status as an attached office under the Civil Aviation Ministry limits its administrative and financial independence, the FIP said, citing delays in approvals and difficulty attracting specialised staff. The proposal also references International Civil Aviation Organisation audits and a parliamentary committee that supported regulatory autonomy.
The Indian Opinion
The push for an autonomous regulator is not new, and the FIP's proposal revives a debate that has circled for years. The narrative that DGCA is a broken regulator is one-sided: it has helped India's aviation sector grow safely to 239 million passengers a year. Equally, the idea that an independent body will automatically fix staffing or the pace of decision-making ignores that government procedures often reflect accountability concerns. The real test will be whether the government tables the long-pending Civil Aviation Authority Bill in Parliament and what safeguards it includes for transparency and public interest.
Sources (2): indiatoday.in, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
