New Delhi, March 31 A new Director General is set to take over the reins of DGCA after several challenging months as it works to ensure high safety standards, help airlines navigate the headwinds of the West Asia conflict, and implement various passenger-friendly initiatives.
During the tenure of incumbent chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, who is being replaced by Vir Vikram Yadav, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) grappled with multiple challenges, including massive disruptions at IndiGo in December last year, lapses at various airlines, crashes involving aircraft of non-scheduled operators, and the fatal accident of an Air India plane in June 2025.
As one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets, India is witnessing significant air traffic demand even as airlines, keen to expand operations, are grappling with aircraft shortages, and now the West Asia turmoil on the international front.
Yadav, a senior IAS officer of the 1996 Odisha cadre, is currently an Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
After being at the helm of the regulator for little over a year, Kidwai has been appointed as an Additional Secretary at the Department of Personnel & Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, according to an official order on Tuesday.
DGCA, the aviation safety regulator, has been in the spotlight in recent times, due to various developments, including the massive operational disruptions at IndiGo in December 2025.
Besides, there have been multiple instances of lapses at airlines, accidents involving aircraft operated by non-scheduled operators, and the fatal crash of an Air India plane in June last year.
The regulator has taken action against erring airlines as well as their officials, including penalties and other measures against IndiGo for the December 2025 disruptions.
Steps have also been taken to enhance safety requirements for flying VIPs and VVIPs.
In the wake of the West Asia war, DGCA is keeping a close watch on airline operations as there are significant disruptions due to airspace curbs in the region, as well as other operational challenges and rising fuel prices.
On the other hand, the regulator has taken certain passenger-friendly measures. Carriers are set to offer at least 60 per cent of seats on a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, as well as maintain a transparent seat allocation policy.
Airlines have opposed the revised policy citing revenue loss concerns.
Under revised DGCA norms, effective from March 26, passengers can cancel or change air tickets without paying an additional charge within hours of making the bookings, subject to certain conditions.
The option would not be available for domestic flight bookings where the departure date is less than 7 days, and in the case of international bookings, the departure date should be not less than 15 days.
Coming out with the amended norms that are more passenger-friendly, DGCA also said that airlines should not levy any additional charge for correction in the name of the same person when the error is pointed out by the passenger within 24 hours of making the booking, when the ticket is booked directly through the airline's website.
Airlines also had concerns about the new refund norms.
Meanwhile, in the latest summer schedule, airlines will be operating a smaller number of flights compared to last year's schedule amid uncertainties.
Last week, a highly-placed source said the current summer schedule has a smaller number of flights as the civil aviation authorities decided to be "a little more moderate" in approving the number of services in the backdrop of IndiGo's massive operational disruptions last December.
Meanwhile, on March 29, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said India's aviation sector is facing a bottleneck in procurement of new aircraft, citing that while 1,700 new planes are on order, supply chain disruptions mean deliveries may take up to 15 years.