Pilots’ body writes to PM Modi, tells why it wants ‘autonomous’ Civil Aviation Authority to replace DGCA

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to establish an autonomous, statutory Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), while renewing its high-stakes call for structural reform in the “world’s fastest growing aviation markets.”

“The proposal to establish a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of India emerged from concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Parliamentary Committees, and the rapid growth of India’s aviation sector,” the letter addressed to PM Modi, dated August 6, read.

It added, “The objective was to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with an autonomous statutory regulator having greater financial, administrative, and technical independence.”

“Although the proposal gained significant momentum in 2013-2014, the legislation ultimately lapsed and India continues to be regulated by the DGCA under the Ministry of Civil Aviation…” the letter stated.

In a detailed proposal addressed to the Prime Minister on August 6, FIP president Capt CS Randhawa stressed that India, now the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world, remains an outlier among major regional economies by continuing to rely on the DGCA, news agency ANI reported.

Drawing comparisons with neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, all of which operate autonomous statutory CAAs, the FIP argued that India’s regulatory framework must evolve to align with international best practices.

The FIP’s blueprint resurrects core elements from previous reform efforts, including the lapsed 2013 Civil Aviation Authority Bill.

Key structural recommendations included, according to ANI:

> Creation of a dedicated Civil Aviation Authority Fund sustained through user fees, licensing charges, and cost-recovery safety audits, reducing reliance on government grants.

> Empowering the authority to hire industry experts directly with competitive, market-based remuneration rather than being bound by routine civil service rules; professional board featuring a Chairperson, a Director General, and domain experts spanning flight safety, airworthiness, air navigation, consumer affairs, and environmental compliance, appointed for fixed terms and dedicated mechanisms for handling passenger complaints, environmental compliance, and noise regulation.

The proposal underscored that an autonomous CAA would heavily bolster compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) standards.

Why FIP wants CAA to replace DGCA

The FIP claimed that the government identified several shortcomings in the existing DGCA structure.

FIP’s letter emphasised that the rapid expansion of the sector, with commercial fleets topping 850 aircraft, passenger numbers surging past 239 million, and emerging domains like drones and advanced air mobility taking flight, has severely strained a conventional government department.

The FIP’s proposal highlighted critical structural limitations under the current setup:

> Lack of institutional independence as major regulatory decisions and financial outlays require cumbersome government approvals, creating administrative bottlenecks.

> Rapid growth of Indian aviation.

> Rigid government pay scales make it difficult to attract and retain specialised aviation talent, such as airline captains, flight operations inspectors, and airworthiness engineers.

> Issue of financial constraints. The FIP said that unlike global counterparts in the UK, Singapore, and neighbouring South Asian nations that operate self-sustaining bodies, the DGCA’s revenue goes straight into the Consolidated Fund of India, leaving the regulator dependent on annual budget allocations.

Proponents argued that independent leadership and continuous digital investment will speed up pilot licensing, enhance fatigue risk management (FDTL), and secure global confidence in India’s aviation oversight system.

Copies of the comprehensive proposal have also been forwarded to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, Civil Aviation Secretary SK Sinha, Cabinet Secretary Dr TV Somanathan, and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.