Next Director General of Civil Aviation May Be From the IAF

The National Democratic Alliance Government may appoint a serving Indian Air Force (IAF) officer of the rank of Air Marshal to head India’s civil aviation regulatory body, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The post of DGCA head fell vacant as Ms M. Sathiyavathy, a 1982-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was moved from the regulatory body to the Ministry of Labour as the Secretary on July 28, 2016. A senior Civil Aviation Ministry official requesting anonymity said that the government has already indicated to get an IAF officer, someone who is involved in air operations and air traffic control. “The role of DGCA becomes much bigger given the expansion of the civil aviation sector,” said Kanu Gohain, former DGCA.