The government announced on Tuesday (March 31) that Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Department of Training and Personnel under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s additional secretary, Vir Vikram Yadav, will become the new Director General of the DGCA, according to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, as seen by FE. He belongs to the IAS batch of 1996 from the Odisha cadre.
Backdrop of Yadav’s appointment
Yadav takes over the mantle of the DGCA at a time when the government faces a significant challenge in mediating a dispute between airlines and pilots regarding updated duty and rest regulations at a time when global geo-political headwinds are causing uncertainty in the aviation industry, with international flights from the country being impacted.
Earlier this week, the Airlines Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) urged the DGCA to suspend operations into identified high-risk conflict zones in West Asia and mandate disclosure and verification of valid insurance coverage.
In a letter to the DGCA, the pilot association highlighted the risk in carrying out operations with civilian airlines in conflict-torn regions, citing previous incidents of civilian airlines being shot down in the fog of war.
What will Yadav’s duties entail
Yadav will take on the crucial responsibility of overseeing the country’s domestic aviation at a time when the DGCA is trying to promote ease of doing business for airlines to help them grow and flourish as well as taking steps for passenger rights.
Last week, the DGCA had said that there are big challenges for airlines, including taking longer routes and higher operational costs due to airspace restrictions.
“It is not only passenger rights which we are looking at… we are trying to ease things for the airlines also and the rules and regulations which are there, promote ease of doing business because we want our airlines to grow and flourish,” Kidwai had said.
Yadav has served as the Food and Supplies Secretary plus Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA). He also held the position of Cooperation Secretary earlier.
Puneel Kansal was also made an Additional Secretary with the Ministry of Civil Aviation by temporarily upgrading the vacant post of Joint Secretary.