**Executive Summary**
This document is the response of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to Unstarred Question No. 1133 regarding the number of vacancies in the civil aviation sector and the measures being taken to address them. The response, dated February 5, 2026, outlines the existing vacancies and the actions taken by various bodies under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. No specific deadlines or action items are identified other than the general effort to fill vacancies.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Overall Strategy:** The Ministry of Civil Aviation is taking ongoing steps to fill vacancies to ensure adequate staffing, operational safety, and service continuity.
* **Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):**
* 787 vacancies exist.
* Vacancies are primarily due to the creation of 441 additional posts during restructuring from 2022-2024.
* The recruitment process involves multiple stages.
* **Airports Authority of India (AAI):**
* 1667 vacancies exist for Direct Recruitment (executive) posts.
* AAI has expedited recruitment, redeployed staff, and created additional ATCO posts.
* Measures are continuously reviewed to ensure safe and uninterrupted civil aviation services.
* **Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA):**
* BCAS has 180 vacant positions.
* AERA has 11 vacant positions.
* Vacancy circulars are issued periodically to fill posts based on prescribed norms, as BCAS and AERA are deputation-based organizations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Civil Aviation and its Attached Offices and Regulatory Bodies (DGCA, AAI, BCAS, AERA):**
* **Impact:** Affected by the need to address and fill existing vacancies to maintain operational efficiency, safety, and service continuity within the civil aviation sector.
* **Action Required:** The ministry is expected to fill up vacancies to ensure adequate staffing, operational safety and continuity of services. AAI needs to continue expedited recruitment and staff redeployment. BCAS and AERA need to continue issuing vacancy circulars periodically.
**Employees and Potential Employees:**
* **Impact:** Current employees may be impacted by workload distribution and operational efficiency. Potential employees are impacted by the availability of job opportunities within the civil aviation sector.
* **Action Required:** Potential employees may consider applying for the vacant positions in various bodies under the Ministry.
**Public:**
* **Impact:** The general public is indirectly affected by the operational safety and continuity of civil aviation services.
* **Action Required:** None.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The primary government body responsible for answering questions about vacancies in the civil aviation sector.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): A regulatory body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation with existing vacancies.
Airports Authority of India (AAI): An organization with existing vacancies and measures taken to address staffing.
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS): An organization with existing vacancies filled by deputation.
Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA): An organization with existing vacancies filled by deputation.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1133
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5th February 2026 )
VACANCY IN CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR
1133. SHRI E T MOHAMMED BASHEER
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) the total number of vacancies presently existing in the technical and administrative
cadres across the civil aviation sector including airports, air navigation services and
regulatory bodies in view of the rapid expansion of private participation and airport
privatisation; and
(b) the details of the immediate measures taken/proposed to be taken by the
Government on an emergency basis to ensure adequate staffing, operational safety
and service continuity?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a) & (b): Adequate steps are taken from time to time to fill up vacancies under the
Ministry of Civil Aviation, including its attached offices and regulatory bodies, with
a view to ensure adequate staffing, operational safety and continuity of services across
the sector. The vacancy position and measures taken for filling up posts across various
bodies under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil Aviation are as follows:
In the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 787 vacancies exist, largely on
account of the creation of 441 additional posts as part of the restructuring undertaken
during 2022-2024. The recruitment process of filling these position involve multiple
stages.
In the Airports Authority of India (AAI), 1667 vacancies pertaining to Direct
Recruitment (executive) posts are existing. To address these, AAI has expedited
recruitment, redeployed staff at operationally sensitive airports, created additional
ATCO posts in line with expanding airspace requirements, with such measures being
continuously reviewed to ensure safe and uninterrupted civil aviation services.
In the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Airports Economic Regulatory
Authority of India (AERA), there are 180 and 11 positions vacant respectively. As
BCAS and AERA are deputation-based organisations, vacancy circulars are issued
periodically to fill posts in accordance with the prescribed norms.
******