Pilots' body seeks creation of autonomous aviation authority to replace DGCA

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.