Parliament Panel Flags Aviation Safety Gaps, Says "Give DGCA Full Autonomy"

Grant the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) full administrative and financial autonomy, establish a "Just Culture" and whistleblower protection and mandate root-cause analysis for recurring risks like runway incursions are a few of the twelve recommendations made by a parliamentary committee in a report, reviewing India's civil aviation sector, tabled in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha today.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, led by MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, presented its 380th Report on the 'Overall Review of Safety in the Civil Aviation Sector'. 

Central to the report's findings is the need for a stronger, more effective regulatory body. The committee strongly recommends a time-bound plan to give the DGCA more authority. Stating that without this freedom, the DGCA is unable to address critical technical staff shortages-a long-standing issue highlighted by past expert committees but never resolved. The current recruitment model prevents the regulator from attracting top talent and offering salaries commensurate with industry standards, thereby undermining its ability to enforce compliance in a complex and growing sector.

The report highlights the much-debated human element of fatigue amongst Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and the need for immediate development of a Fatigue Risk Management System for ATCOs to ensure their well-being and operational safety. This mirrors a parallel recommendation for flight crew, urging strict compliance with Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations and promoting mental health awareness for both pilots and ATCOs.

A comprehensive staffing audit is also recommended to combat operational overload and the "long-standing and high-risk practice" of seeking exemptions from mandatory duty time limits. 

In a move to foster a more proactive safety culture, the report calls for the establishment of a "Just Culture" and a robust whistleblower protection framework. This aims to counter a punitive environment that currently deters operational personnel from openly reporting errors-an essential practice for proactive safety management and learning. 

On the enforcement front, the committee urges a time-bound mechanism to close all safety deficiencies, especially serious Level I matters, and proposes stricter penalties, including financial fines, for non-compliance. This is a direct response to a growing backlog of unresolved safety findings that indicates a critical weakness in the post-surveillance rectification process.

Infrastructure and technological gaps were also a major focus. The report underlines an imbalance where aircraft induction is outpacing airport growth, putting pressure on existing facilities and dangerously straining safety margins. To address this, the committee recommends a National Capacity Alignment Plan to synchronise airport development with airline fleet expansion. 

It also calls for a comprehensive overhaul of outdated Air Traffic Control (ATC) automation systems, advocating for the integration of modern, AI-driven tools to reduce controller workload. Economically, the report addresses the strategic vulnerability caused by India's 85% dependence on foreign Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, urging a policy review to provide incentives and rationalise taxation to promote domestic capabilities.

Lastly, the report recommends the creation of a new, dedicated post-Member (ATC)-on the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Board. This aims to correct a critical governance failure where the most safety-sensitive function, air traffic control, has historically lacked expert representation at the highest decision-making level. The committee's findings underscore that, while India's civil aviation sector is on a growth trajectory, its long-term health is contingent on addressing these foundational issues of regulation, human factors, and infrastructure alignment.