General Studies - CIVIL AVIATION IN INDIA

Overview

• India is the 9^th largest civil aviation market in the world
• The Indian civil aviation sector handles about 414,000 passengers every month. Annual passenger traffic growth is about 20%
• Civil aviation in India falls under the purview of the Ministry of Civil Aviation
• Civil aviation is regulated under the Aircraft Act 1934 and Aircraft Rules 1937
• The oldest airport in the country is the Nagpur airport
• The oldest airline in India was Tata Airlines, founded in 1932. It was re-named as Air India in 1946
• The first airline service in India was by Tata Airlines in 1932, flying mail from Karachi to Bombay
• The first international air service was by Air India in 1948, between Bombay and London

All governmental bodies listed below function under the Ministry of Civil Aviation




Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

• Headquarters New Delhi
• The DGCA is the governmental body that regulates civil aviation in India

• The DGCA is the nodal agency for implementing the 1944 Chicago Convention on civil aviation. The Chicago Convention established the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), an agency of UN in charge of regulating international air travel

• Its functions include
  • Registration of civil aircraft
  • Licensing of pilots and air traffic controllers
  • Formulation of standards of air worthiness for civil aircraft
  • Certification of aerodromes
  • Conducting investigations into accidents/incidents involving civil aviation
  • Coordination of ICAO matters
  • Supervision of flying schools
  • Keeping a check on aircraft noise and engine emissions
  • Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft

Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS)

• Established 1978, headquarters New Delhi
• The BCAS was formed to coordinate, monitor, inspect and train personnel in civil aviation security matters
• The primary function of the BCAS is to establish the standards and measures with respect to civil aviation security at domestic and international airports in the country

Commission on Railway Safety (CRS)

• The erstwhile Railway Inspectorate (formed in 1883) was re-named the Commission on Railway Safety in 1961
• Headquarters Lucknow
• The functions of the CRS include
  • Inspect new railways and determine their fitness for public carriage of passengers
  • Make periodical and other inspections of railway and rolling stock
  • Investigate accidents/incidents related to the Railways
• The Commission on Railway Safety functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation because of the desire to have a railways inspection authority independent of the Railway Board

National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL)

• Established 2007. Headquarters Delhi/Mumbai
• The NACIL was formed as a holding company for the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines
• It is currently the largest airline operator in India

Airports Authority of India (AAI)

• Formed in 1995, headquarters New Delhi
• The AAI was formed by merging the International Airports Authority of India and the National Airports Authority
• The AAI operates and manages 126 airports in India. These include 12 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves
• The main functions of the AAI include
  • Control and management of Indian airspace
  • Development and operation of international and domestic airports and civil enclaves
  • Provision of communication, navigational and visual aids for flying (like Radar, ILS etc)

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA)

• Established 1985, located Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh)
• The main objective of the IGRUA is to improve flight training standard in civil aviation and to provide flight training to selected candidates

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