Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)- Relevance for UPSC Exam
- GS Paper 2: Indian Constitutions- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)- Context
- 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.
International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- 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.
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Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)- Key Points
- 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).
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Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)- Key Functions
- 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.
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