## Policy Summary: Vacancies in Civil Aviation Sector (Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1899)
This document summarizes the response provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1899, concerning vacancies within key aviation bodies. The question, posed by Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, inquired about the extent of vacancies in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Airports Authority of India (AAI), their impact, and government measures to address the issue.
The Minister's response, dated July 31, 2025, acknowledges significant vacancy levels across the three organizations. Specifically:
* **BCAS:** Sanctioned strength of 598 posts, with 368 filled and 230 vacant.
* **DGCA:** Sanctioned strength of 1644 posts, with 821 filled and 823 vacant. Notably, 441 posts (including 426 technical posts) were created between 2022 and 2024.
* **AAI:** Sanctioned strength of 25730 posts, with 16253 filled and 9477 vacant. This includes 840 Air Traffic Controller (ATCO) positions recently created.
The response asserts that the shortfall has not impacted the functioning of these organizations, citing the recent creation of many posts to cater to the civil aviation requirements. The government is actively pursuing all methods of recruitment. To bridge the gap, short-term contractual hiring is utilized to address vacancies arising from factors such as inadequate response to advertisements, non-joining of selected candidates, insufficient service in feeder cadres for promotion, and insufficient response to deputation posts.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The Indian government ministry responsible for the formulation of national policies and programs for the development and regulation of the Civil Aviation sector.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy: A member of parliament (MP) who raised a question regarding vacancies in the civil aviation sector.
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS): An attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, responsible for aviation security standards and their enforcement.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): The regulatory body for civil aviation in India, primarily dealing with safety issues.
Airports Authority of India (AAI): A statutory body responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India.
Murlidhar Mohol: Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs): Personnel responsible for directing aircraft movements in the sky and on the ground.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
Lok Sabha
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1899
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 31st July 2025 )
VACANCIES IN CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR
1899. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) whether it is a fact that nearly half of the positions are lying
vacant in key aviation bodies such as the Bureau of Civil Aviation
Security (BCAS), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and
Airports Authority of India (AAl);
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor and the
details of sanctioned strength and existing staff strength in each of
these organisations;
(c) whether these vacancies have had an adverse impact on
aviation safety, airport security oversight, regulatory management
and overall operational efficiency and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take any
concrete steps to fill up these vacancies on urgent basis and
strengthen human resources and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a) to (d): Details of the sanctioned strength and vacancy position
for Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Directorate General of
Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) are
attached at Annexure. ;;
It is pertinent to mention that in order to cater the requirements of
the civil aviation in the country, many posts in these organizations
have been created in the last couple of years. Therefore, the
shortfall has not impacted the functioning of these organizations.;;Further, all methods of recruitment are pursued vigorously in order
to ensure timely and continuous availability of requisite manpower.
To meet requirements in the interregnum due to vacancies arising
from reasons like inadequate response to advertisements, non-
joining of selected candidates, persons with insufficient service in
the feeder cadre for promotion and insufficient response to
deputation posts, efforts are made to recruit persons through short
terms contractual hiring.
******Annexure
Details of the sanctioned strength and vacancy position for Bureau of Civil
Aviation Security (BCAS), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and
Airports Authority of India (AAI):
Name of Organisation Sanctioned posts Filled up Vacant
BCAS 598 368 230
DGCA 1644 821 823
AAI 25730 16253 9477
Note: Some positions have been created in the last couple of years, as
reflected below:
1. In DGCA, 441 posts, including 426 technical posts, have been
created between 2022 and 2024.
2. In BCAS, 84 Operational Posts have been created during restructuring
in 2024.
3. In Airports Authority of India, 840 posts of Air Traffic Controllers
(ATCOs) have been created recently.
****