In response to submissions made within the Lok Sabha, 814 out of 1,692 sanctioned positions at DGCA remained vacant as of 31 March 2025. DGCA had 878 employees as of 31 March 2025. On the finish of March 2020, DGCA had 471 vacancies and 762 folks.
In response to their newest annual stories, InterGlobe Aviation, which runs India’s largest provider IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet had a fleet dimension of 434, 205, and 61 plane, respectively, on the finish of March 2025. The nation’s 5 largest business carriers’ fleet elevated from 566 on the finish of March 2020 to 780 on the finish of March 2025, implying 214 planes had been added.
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DGCA has added 116 folks throughout this time, as its workforce elevated from 762 to 878. Nonetheless, in response to parliament dialogue data reviewed by Mint, the variety of unfilled positions has jumped from 471 to 814.
Put merely, the world’s fastest-growing business airline market added extra planes than folks to supervise secure and environment friendly air journey.
“The scarcity of educated manpower at DGCA is without doubt one of the greatest points,” stated Amit Singh, the founding father of Security Issues Basis, a Gurugram-based not-for-profit targeted on constructing a security tradition within the aviation sector.
IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air anticipate to extend their fleets by 950, 570, and 266 planes by 2035.
“That is one thing that the federal government of India wants to have a look at very strongly as a result of if they’ve inspired and developed such progress within the aviation sector, the minister involved must also be how they will usher in a professionally expert workforce into the aviation market,” stated Sanjay Lazar, chief govt of Avialaz consultants, a boutique aviation consultancy.
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Lazar stated larger emphasis must be positioned on coaching to maintain up with the five hundred,000 jobs the aviation sector is estimated to generate by 2030.
“The present staffing ranges at DGCA are insufficient for the size of India’s aviation progress,” stated Ravreet Singh, an impartial aviation marketing consultant who additionally runs an aviation weblog calledAvia-Insights. “India’s aviation ecosystem is increasing, however regulatory capability has not scaled in proportion,” he stated.
Mint has reached out to DGCA, and can replace the story with their remark as quickly as it’s made accessible.
The insufficient staffing at DGCA is of explicit concern, per week after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed quickly after take off, killing greater than 240 folks and making it the nation’s worst civil aviation catastrophe in nearly three a long time.
“They do not have the workforce to implement security,” stated captain Mohan Ranganathan, former airline teacher pilot. “DGCA retains telling that they’re hiring and attempting their finest to fill the vacant positions, however they’re terribly understaffed,” he stated.
Additionally learn: New shocking footage of Ahmedabad tragedy — students jump from BJ Medical College building after Air India plane crash
In response to information from the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA), India is the third-largest aviation market on the earth primarily based on passenger quantity.
In response to IATA information, a file 174 million Indian home and worldwide passengers flew in 2024, in comparison with 730 million in China.
“When the fleet dimension and operational complexity grows shortly, human capital should develop alongside it as nicely,” stated Ravreet Singh. “A shortfall in expert personnel dangers delayed audits, weaker oversight, and restricted bandwidth to handle rising security considerations.”
