Now Reading: Pilots’ body urges PM to replace DGCA with autonomous regulator
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Pilots’ body urges PM to replace DGCA with autonomous regulator
The Federation of Indian Pilots has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to establish an autonomous statutory Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).…
The Story in Brief
The Federation of Indian Pilots has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to establish an autonomous statutory Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In its August 6 letter, the FIP argued that India, now the third-largest domestic aviation market, remains an outlier among major economies by still using a government department, while neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka operate autonomous CAAs.
The proposal revives core elements from the lapsed 2013 Civil Aviation Authority Bill. It recommends creating a dedicated fund sustained by user fees, allowing the authority to hire experts at market salaries, and forming a professional board with fixed terms. The FIP says the DGCA's current structure suffers from lack of independence, rigid pay scales, and financial constraints, as its revenue goes to the Consolidated Fund.
The Indian Opinion
The push for an autonomous aviation regulator is not new; it has languished since 2013. While the DGCA's bureaucratic constraints are genuine, an independent CAA is no automatic fix. Neighbouring countries have them, but their track records vary. The real challenge lies in ensuring true independence without regulatory capture. The government must balance expert autonomy with accountability. The test will be whether a revived bill includes clear safeguards against industry influence and retains parliamentary oversight.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
