Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Indian Constitutions- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Recently, the United States’ aviation watchdog, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started its five-day audit of India’s safety regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
- This is a routine check that is carried out every two to three years. This time it was delayed due to COVID-19.

Under this, the FAA determines whether another country’s oversight of its airlines that operate to the U.S. or have a codeshare agreement with a U.S. airline comply with safety standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
It will look into India’s ability to adhere to international aviation safety standards and recommended practices pertaining to-
- Airworthiness of aircraft,
- Operation of aircraft and
- Personnel licensing.

About: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation, primarily dealing with safety issues.
- The headquarters are located in New Delhi with regional offices in the various parts of India.
Mandate: DGCA is responsible for the regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards.
Nodal agency for international coordination: The DGCA also coordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Registration of civil aircraft.
Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraft registered in India and grant of certificates of airworthiness to such aircraft.
Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations and checks for that purpose.
Licensing of air traffic controllers.
Conducting an investigation into accidents/incidents and taking accident prevention measures including formulation of implementation of Safety Aviation Management programs.
Coordination at the national level for flexi-use of air space by civil and military air traffic agencies and interaction with ICAO for provision of more air routes for civil use through Indian air space.
Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft and aircraft components by acting as a catalytic agent.
Approving training programs of operators for carriage of dangerous goods, issuing authorizations for carriage of dangerous goods, etc.