US regulator to audit DGCA from today

New Delhi: With 33 major deficiencies and a looming vacancy at the top, the Indian aviation safety regulator will come under the scanner of the US Federal Aviation Administration from Wednesday. The FAA team was here three months back and had identified the 33 problem areas — mainly related to staff shortage and training issues. It is now coming back to see if any real progress has been made on them or should Indian aviation be downgraded for having a watchdog who is too weak to ensure safety even as Indian air traffic grows by leaps and bounds.
While aviation authorities here are trying to ensure that a downgrade does not happen by listing a series of steps, the reality is that the government is unable to find a suitable person to head the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA). The current DG, Arun Mishra, has been selected by UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as its Asia Pacific head because of his experience in aviation. But after he leaves this month, the DGCA will be a headless organization and the aviation ministry will give additional charge of DG to a joint secretary.
Read News In full 11/12/13 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India