Mumbai, Feb 06: India’s aviation oversight and infrastructure are facing a significant human resource challenge. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that major regulatory and operational bodies are currently operating with thousands of vacant positions, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the country’s rapid aviation growth.
Over 2,600 vacancies across key agencies
In a written response, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol detailed a total of 2,645 vacant positions across four key entities — the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA).
The shortage spans technical, administrative and security roles, with the highest number of vacant posts recorded at 1,667 positions in AAI. This includes the critical cadre of Air Traffic Controller Officers (ATCOs). The ministry said that AAI has expedited recruitment, redeployed staff at operationally sensitive airports, and created additional ATCO posts in line with expanding airspace requirements.
DGCA vacancies and recruitment updates
The DGCA, responsible for safety oversight, licensing and inspections, is short of 787 personnel. While this reflects a high volume of unfilled roles, the ministry noted that a significant portion arose due to the creation of 441 additional posts during a major restructuring between 2022 and 2024. These posts were intended to strengthen the regulator’s capacity to monitor a fleet expected to double over the next decade.
In a separate reply in Parliament, the minister said the total number of sanctioned posts in the DGCA is 1,630. Over the past four months, 15 officers and nine Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) have joined. In addition, 164 technical officers, one FOI and three stenographers have been selected to join.
BCAS and AERA also understaffed
The BCAS, which oversees airport security and compliance, has 180 vacant positions, while AERA, responsible for tariff fixation and economic monitoring, has 11 vacancies. The ministry noted that both bodies operate on a deputation basis and vacancy circulars are issued periodically to fill posts as per prescribed norms.
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Industry growth raises concerns
India’s aviation industry is currently the fastest-growing in the world, with domestic carriers holding orders for over 1,700 new aircraft. Experts warn that while the government maintains that operations remain unaffected, a continued shortage of permanent technical staff could lead to regulatory fatigue, operational delays and increased air traffic control stress.
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