India’s aviation safety regulator is grappling with a staffing crisis that is severely affecting its ability to fulfil its mandate, a parliamentary panel has warned in a new report.
The “profound and persistent shortage” of personnel at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) poses an “existential threat” to the integrity of the safety system, says the report, tabled in the upper house of parliament on Wednesday.
The lawmakers were tasked with reviewing aviation safety in the aftermath of the 12 June Air India plane crash which killed 260 people, mostly passengers.
The report doesn’t mention the crash, but flags several other concerns including overworked air traffic controllers.
The BBC has contacted the DGCA and the civil aviation ministry for comment.
Parliamentary committee reports are not binding on the federal government but they have in the past influenced legislative agendas and sometimes regulations.
India, the world’s third-largest aviation market, has seen a massive boom in air travel in recent years, driven by budget airlines, rising disposable incomes and a government push to expand connectivity through new airports.
But the growth has been accompanied by major challenges, including shortage of qualified personnel, fatigue among existing staff and infrastructural constraints.
Since the Air India crash, there has been heightened scrutiny on both the airline and the larger aviation sector in India. In July, the BBC spoke to the chief of the DGCA after a spate of reports of maintenance oversights and training shortfalls raised concerns.
(BBC)
