The government proposes to set up a Civil Aviation Authority to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation – DGCA. The information was given in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today by the Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi. He said apart from the regulatory safety oversight functions of the DGCA, the proposed authority – CAA -will have additional functions relating to Economic, Consumer Protection and Environmental Regulations.

The Minister said the objective of the new authority is to overcome the constraints presently faced by the DGCA in terms of recruitment and retention of technical manpower and its inability to address operational issues. He said the proposed authority will have adequate financial and administrative powers to meet its functional requirements effectively.