Now passengers can breathe a sigh of relief and feel a bit safer while flying the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to induct at least 20 flight safety inspectors, whose mandate will be to conduct tests on and inspections of the aircraft. The move comes after the DGCA invited applications for hiring of over 200 staffers. 

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However, the aviation regulator is wary of hiring incompetent candidates. So, on their website, the DGCA mentions; “Canvassing by candidate in any manner is not permitted.” Out of the 20 vacancies, 10 were for senior flight inspectors, a DGCA official said. The selected candidates will be hired on a one-year contract. “More vacancies will be announced in coming months,” said the official.

This move is a response to the criticism the DGCA received from a UN-affiliated aviation watchdog, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and also US aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for poor safety records. The reason for the alleged deficiency was the shortage of staff and skilled inspectors. In case both the agencies gave negative markings to the DGCA, that would result in drastic consequences as foreign airlines would hesitate to fly in India, said an expert.

According to sources, safety issues in the Indian skies are expected to escalate as India is fast moving towards becoming one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. As per a report prepared by  leading aviation consultancy firm CAPA in 2012, passenger traffic is set to grow from 143 million in 2010-11 to 452 million in 2020-2021. Over the same period, the scheduled airline fleet is expected to grow from 430 to 1,030 aircraft, while general aviation could see even faster growth from 750 to over 2,000 aircraft.