DGCA to recruit 130 personnel next month

There is finally some good news for Indian aviation. The Director General of Civil Aviation will recruit 130 personnel to fill in the various vacant posts in the Air worthiness stream. The process of recruitment and joining would finish by next month itself.

Confirming the news toHeadlines Today the DG Arun Mishra said that soon DGCA would present itself in a better form to the world. He however played down the threat of downgrade by the Federal Aviation Administration and asserted that regular exercises and audits were necessary for improvement. Furthermore he added that there was never a situation when the passenger safety was compromised.

But then this is just the beginning 130 recruitments doesn't mean that the problems end for DGCA.There are equal number of vacant posts in other streams as well that would need to be filled as well.

The sanctioned strength of the DGCA is more than 500 but then the current strength is just around 300.

Sources say what angered the FAA team during its audit was the fact that more than half of these vacancies are for personnel who verify the safety of operations and airworthiness of planes. DGCA hasn't come clean as to how is it going to go about the recruitment. Sources say that in all probability retired officials would be hired on short term contract basis till a suitable candidate is found. Deputation from other airlines and AAI could also be a way say sources.

Aviation experts emphasise that in the last couple of years the domestic and international air traffic has grown rapidly. However, there has been virtually no increase in resources at the DGCA so under-staffing is once again a major concern.

Earlier the US regulator disappointed at the safety measures put in place by the DGCA had put the Indian regulator on a notice period to speed up things. Embarrassed with the tough safety audit report the DG had to rush to US with an assurance that things would soon be on a roll. Sources say that the DG assured the US counterparts that soon the DGCA would be turned to Civil Aviation Authority which will have not just more financial power but also the power to recruit.

But if you are wondering why there's so much of hurry when for all these months the DGCA had sat quietly ignoring the demands ?then here's the reason? sources within the DGCA itself say that the Federal Aviation Administration wishes to see that the changes have indeed been made by the Indian aviation regulator. Unlike previous years it is not going to believe in mere assurances and the Indian authorities also understood that diplomatic wrangling would not help this time.

Call it then the fear of being downgraded or losing face in the international forum there is finally some change taking place for good. By the time the FAA team next visits India the DGCA would have changed a lot with a sizeable staff strength to boast of.

India on previous occasions had to assure not just the FAA but also the International Civil Aviation Organisation that it was committed for passenger safety. A downgrade by the FAA would have meant that the Indian carriers in the US skies would have needed special permission to land at the US airports and the passengers offcourse would have had to go through rigorous checks.