Overview
- The Federation of Indian Pilots sent a detailed proposal dated August 6 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to senior aviation officials asking that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation be replaced by a statutory, autonomous Civil Aviation Authority.
- The FIP says the DGCA’s status as an attached office forces its fee income into the government’s Consolidated Fund and blocks direct hiring, which limits spending on inspectors, airworthiness engineers and fatigue specialists.
- The proposal calls for a dedicated Civil Aviation Authority Fund that would retain user and certification fees, and estimates the authority could raise about Rs 500 crore to Rs 700 crore a year to pay market-competitive salaries and buy technology.
- The pilots argue an autonomous regulator would speed pilot licensing and medical clearances, improve enforcement of Flight Duty Time Limitations and fatigue-risk systems, and increase the frequency of safety audits and inspections that affect frontline crew and passengers.
- The plan revives a lapsed 2013 reform effort and cites ICAO audits and parliamentary recommendations; media outlets have widely reported the push but the government has not announced any decision or new legislation yet.