Pilots' body urges PM for autonomous aviation authority, cites funding, safety gaps

The Federation of Indian Pilots has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create an autonomous statutory Civil Aviation Authority. The proposal says the move would ease regulatory bottlenecks and strengthen safety oversight as aviation expands.The Federation of Indian Pilots has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create an autonomous statutory Civil Aviation Authority. Amid unprecedented growth in India’s aviation sector, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish an autonomous, statutory Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), arguing that the country’s regulatory framework needs structural reform to keep pace with the expansion of the industry.In a detailed proposal dated August 6, FIP President Capt CS Randhawa said India, now the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, remains an outlier among major regional economies because it continues to rely on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.The proposal seeks to replace the DGCA with a modern, autonomous statutory regulator with greater financial, administrative and technical independence.The FIP said the aviation sector has become one of the fastest-growing contributors to economic development, trade, tourism and national connectivity. With air traffic continuing to expand and aviation technology becoming increasingly complex, it argued that India needs a modern, independent and professionally managed regulatory framework to maintain high standards of safety, security, efficiency and consumer protection. India’s civil aviation sector has witnessed significant growth over the past two decades, with increases in passenger traffic, aircraft fleets, airports, air navigation services and aviation training organisations. The sector now has a commercial fleet of more than 850 aircraft, while passenger numbers have crossed 239 million. Emerging areas such as drones and advanced air mobility have also added to the complexity of aviation regulation.The FIP said the DGCA has played a pivotal role in regulating the sector but its status as an attached office of the Civil Aviation Ministry has created limitations in administrative autonomy, financial flexibility, recruitment of technical specialists and timely regulatory decision-making.LISTS SHORTCOMINGS IN EXISTING DGCA STRUCTURE The proposal identifies several reasons for establishing a separate Civil Aviation Authority.The FIP said the DGCA has limited administrative autonomy because major regulatory decisions require approval from the Ministry. Its financial powers remain constrained by government procedures, while recruitment and procurement follow lengthy government rules.The federation argued that these limitations have become more significant as India’s aviation sector has expanded.The proposal also highlights difficulties in recruiting and retaining specialised aviation professionals. Civil aviation regulation requires expertise from airline captains, flight operations inspectors, airworthiness engineers, air traffic management experts, human factors specialists and fatigue risk management experts.According to the FIP, government pay scales can make it difficult to attract and retain professionals from the aviation industry, particularly those with extensive airline experience.The federation also pointed to the rapid growth of Indian aviation between 2003 and 2013. During that period, passenger traffic more than doubled, private airlines became dominant operators, aircraft fleets increased significantly, flying training organisations and maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities expanded, and new airports were commissioned.It said these developments exposed the limitations of regulating a modern aviation industry through a conventional government department.CITES AUDITS AND PARLIAMENTARY RECOMMENDATIONSThe proposal also refers to audits conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).The FIP said these audits highlighted areas in which India needed to strengthen its safety oversight, inspector staffing, technical expertise, regulatory independence and surveillance capability.It noted that ICAO encourages states to ensure that aviation regulators have sufficient independence, resources and qualified personnel.The federation also cited recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee that examined the Civil Aviation Authority Bill. The committee had concluded that India required greater regulatory autonomy, professional management, better staffing, improved accountability, financial independence and enhanced aviation safety oversight.The FIP said the committee broadly supported the creation of a CAA while recommending refinements to governance and accountability.REVIVES EARLIER CAA REFORM PROPOSALThe latest proposal also draws on earlier efforts to create a separate aviation regulator.The FIP said a feasibility study for the formation of a Civil Aviation Authority in India was carried out in 2009-10 and a report was subsequently submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The study examined the rationale, objectives, organisational framework, financial implications and implementation strategy for establishing the authority, while drawing on international best practices and the experience of leading aviation regulators worldwide.The proposal to establish a CAA later gained significant momentum between 2013 and 2014, but the legislation ultimately lapsed. India continues to regulate civil aviation through the DGCA under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.The FIP said the proposed CAA would function as a statutory body with administrative and financial autonomy and would regulate aviation safety, airworthiness, licensing, certification, consumer protection and regulatory compliance, among other key functions.It argued that such an authority would strengthen India’s compliance with ICAO standards and recommended practices, improve regulatory effectiveness and increase global confidence in India’s aviation oversight system.Proposed funding and professional staffing modelThe FIP has proposed creating a dedicated Civil Aviation Authority Fund, supported through user fees, licensing charges and cost-recovery safety audits. It said this model would reduce the authority’s dependence on government grants.The federation also wants the proposed authority to have the power to directly hire industry experts on competitive, market-based remuneration rather than remain bound by routine civil service recruitment and pay structures.The proposed CAA would have a professional board comprising a chairperson, a director general and domain experts covering areas such as flight safety, airworthiness, air navigation, consumer affairs and environmental compliance. The proposal calls for fixed terms for these appointments.The FIP has also proposed dedicated mechanisms for passenger complaints, environmental compliance and noise regulation.It said greater regulatory independence, combined with continuous investment in digital systems, could help speed up pilot licensing, improve fatigue risk management, including FDTL-related oversight, and strengthen confidence in India’s aviation regulatory system.The federation has drawn comparisons with countries such as the UK and Singapore, as well as neighbouring South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which it said operate autonomous statutory civil aviation authorities.The FIP argued that India’s regulatory framework should evolve in line with international best practices as the country’s aviation sector continues to expand.The proposal said an autonomous CAA would provide stronger institutional capacity and more effective safety oversight while supporting the sustained growth of one of the world’s largest aviation markets.Copies of the proposal have also been forwarded to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Civil Aviation Secretary SK Sinha, Cabinet Secretary Dr TV Somanathan and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.- EndsPublished By: Akshat TrivediPublished On: Aug 8, 2026 20:44 IST