Senior bureaucrat Vir Vikram Yadav appointed new DGCA chief | India News
New Delhi: Senior bureaucrat Bir Vikram Yadav has been appointed director general of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, according to a government order issued on Tuesday as quoted by PTI. Yadav, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Kidwai, who was the chief of the aviation safety regulator for over a year, has been posted as additional secretary in the personnel and training department. The change in leadership comes at a time when the DGCA is facing multiple challenges, including security concerns, operational disruptions and the impact of ongoing tensions in West Asia on airline operations. During Kidwai’s tenure, the regulator faced scrutiny after massive disruptions at IndiGo in December 2025, errors at various airlines, accidents involving non-scheduled operators and a fatal crash involving an Air India flight in June last year. DGCA has taken enforcement action against IndiGo including fine. Airline operations are also under pressure due to airspace restrictions associated with the Middle East conflict, resulting in longer routes and higher fuel costs. At the same time, India’s aviation sector continues to see strong growth in passenger demand, even as airlines grapple with aircraft shortages. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu recently said delivery of around 1,700 ordered aircraft could take 15 years due to global supply chain issues. The DGCA has also introduced several passenger-friendly measures, including new rules on seat allocation and ticket cancellation, though airlines have expressed concern over the potential revenue impact.
