Indigo Crisis Exposes DGCA’s Structural Weaknesses
As of November 30, 2025, the DGCA had 794 unfilled vacancies.
New Delhi: The IndiGo crisis exposed serious structural weaknesses within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), bringing the aviation watchdog under renewed scrutiny.
Despite being responsible for regulating the entire aviation ecosystem, from airports and aircraft to air traffic control, pilots, and passenger safety, the DGCA lacks adequate authority, financial autonomy, and manpower to function as a professional regulator comparable to international counterparts such as the Federal Aviation Administration. Operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the DGCA remains dependent on the ministry for approvals on even routine decisions.
The regulator currently functions with only about 553 staff against a sanctioned strength of 1,630, leaving nearly half its positions vacant. These officials are tasked not only with routine oversight but also with handling emergencies such as air crashes, air traffic congestion, airspace spoofing incidents, and airline disruptions. The shortage of technical experts, including airworthiness inspectors and flight operations specialists, has left the DGCA ill-equipped to manage the rapidly expanding aviation sector.
A parliamentary panel headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, in its August 2025 report, warned that the DGCA is “overloaded, understaffed, under-equipped, and lagging in its capacity and capabilities as a safety regulator,” cautioning that delays in restructuring could compromise passenger safety.
As of November 30, 2025, the DGCA had 794 unfilled vacancies. While the civil aviation minister has indicated that about 190 positions may be filled by year-end, a significant gap remains. Much of the regulator’s work continues to be handled by short-term consultants or personnel borrowed from other organisations, raising concerns over accountability and continuity.
Sources said the lack of autonomy and financial independence has made it difficult for the DGCA to attract and retain skilled professionals. Parliamentary panels have noted that the regulator cannot even make urgent temporary hires without ministry approval. Recruitment through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has also been flagged as slow and inflexible, causing prolonged delays in filling critical technical posts.
Attempts to grant autonomy to the DGCA date back to 2013, when then civil aviation secretary Naseem Zaidi proposed the Civil Aviation Authority Bill to convert the regulator into an independent body. However, the Bill lapsed after the fall of the UPA government, and the NDA government has not revived it since.
Aviation sector experts argue that with India now the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market and fifth-largest globally, the DGCA requires urgent restructuring, independent governance, and domain experts to ensure effective oversight. Queries sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation regarding staff shortages and autonomy for the DGCA remain unanswered