Source: The post “Gaps in India’s Civil Aviation Safety Framework” has been created, based on “Ajit Pawar plane crash: What a recent Parliamentary panel report said about gaps in civil aviation safety framework” published in “Indian Express” on 29th January 2026.
UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-3- Economy
Context: India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. However, a Parliamentary Standing Committee has warned that safety oversight has not kept pace with rapid expansion, especially in the private and charter aviation sector. The recent crash has brought these weaknesses into focus.
Major Gaps in the Civil Aviation Safety Framework
1. Weak Regulation of Private and Charter Operators: The committee observed that many private and charter operators function with limited technical staff and inadequate safety systems. Maintenance standards, documentation practices, and operational supervision are often weak, increasing safety risks.
2. Inadequate Safety Management Systems: Several non-scheduled operators lack fully functional Safety Management Systems. Risk assessment, incident reporting, and internal safety audits are poorly implemented, resulting in a weak safety culture.
3. Overburdened Aviation Regulator: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation suffers from manpower shortages and increasing responsibilities. As a result, it often follows a reactive approach and lacks sufficient capacity for predictive and preventive oversight.
4. Constraints in Air Traffic Control: Air Traffic Control infrastructure and manpower have not expanded in proportion to rising air traffic. Controllers face high workload and fatigue, which increases the chances of human error, especially during peak hours and bad weather.
5. Poor Implementation of Safety Recommendations: Findings and recommendations from past accident investigations are not systematically implemented. The absence of a central monitoring mechanism reduces accountability and weakens learning from previous incidents.
6. Inadequate Infrastructure at Smaller Airports: Many regional and smaller airports lack modern navigational aids, adequate runway safety areas, and efficient emergency response systems. This creates additional risks amid increasing operations under regional connectivity schemes.
Measures to Strengthen Aviation Safety
1. Strengthening Regulatory Capacity: The government should increase technical manpower in the DGCA, improve training facilities, and adopt data-driven risk assessment tools to enable proactive supervision.
2. Enhancing Oversight of Private Operators: Private and charter operators must be subjected to stricter inspections, mandatory functional Safety Management Systems, and uniform maintenance standards.
3. Improving ATC Infrastructure and Staffing: There is a need for accelerated recruitment of air traffic controllers, scientific rostering to reduce fatigue, and faster modernisation of communication and navigation systems.
4. Ensuring Effective Implementation of Safety Recommendations: A centralised mechanism should be created to monitor the implementation of safety advisories and investigation reports within fixed timelines.
5. Upgrading Airport Infrastructure: Special focus should be given to improving safety-related infrastructure at regional airports, including navigational aids, runway facilities, and emergency services.
6. Promoting a Strong Safety Culture: Regular training, emphasis on human factors, transparent reporting systems, and leadership commitment are essential for strengthening safety culture in aviation.
Conclusion: India’s aviation growth must be supported by strong regulatory institutions, modern infrastructure, and a culture of safety. As highlighted by the Parliamentary Committee, sustainable development in the aviation sector is possible only when safety is treated as a priority alongside expansion.
Question: In the context of the recent plane crash, examine the gaps in India’s civil aviation safety framework. Suggest measures to strengthen aviation safety in India.
Source: Indian Express
