A body to replace the Directorate General of Civil Aviation as the civil aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, is likely to come into existence this year. The buzz in aviation ministry circles is that Nasim Zaidi, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, will hold the top post as chairperson of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after his retirement from government service this July. According to a ministry source, formation of the CAA has been put on the priority list in a letter sent to the Prime Ministers Office by the Aviation Ministry late last year.
The 21-page CAA draft bill is focused on making the regulator independent by giving it more financial and recruitment powers. Unlike in the DGCA, the UPSC board will have no role in CAA recruitments. The new regulator will also have the power to demand financial documents, balance sheets, etc. from airlines. |