DGCA fills 27% of newly created positions amid expansion of airlines: MoCA

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has filled approximately 27 per cent of its 416 newly created positions for Group A officers, with the remaining to be filled shortly, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Created in 2022, these positions are distributed across the DGCA's headquarters and its regional and sub-regional offices.

The expansion comes in response to the rapidly growing fleets of airlines such as IndiGo and Air India. MoCA is concurrently scaling up staffing at the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to bolster aviation safety and infrastructure.

At AERA, 24 out of 27 previously vacant positions have now been filled, and 5 out of the 10 newly created positions have been occupied. Additionally, to meet the growing demand for air travel, the ministry has initiated the creation of 796 new Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) positions under AAI in two phases. The first phase saw 340 posts established in May 2022, and an additional 456 posts are set to be created in April 2023.

MoCA stated that multiple proactive steps are being taken to augment the workforce across DGCA, AERA, and AAI as part of a comprehensive plan to enhance the nation's aviation infrastructure.