Senior bureaucrat Vir Vikram Yadav appointed new DGCA chief

NEW DELHI: Senior bureaucrat Vir Vikram Yadav has been appointed Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, according to an official order issued on Tuesday, cited by PTI. Yadav, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, is currently serving as additional secretary in the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Kidwai, who headed the aviation safety regulator for a little over a year, has been appointed additional secretary in the department of personnel and training. The leadership change comes at a time when the DGCA is dealing with multiple challenges, including safety concerns, operational disruptions and the impact of ongoing tensions in West Asia on airline operations. During Kidwai’s tenure, the regulator faced scrutiny following widespread disruptions at IndiGo in December 2025, lapses at various airlines, accidents involving non-scheduled operators, and a fatal crash involving an Air India aircraft in June last year. The DGCA had taken enforcement actions, including penalties against IndiGo. Airline operations are also under pressure due to airspace restrictions linked to the Middle East conflict, leading to 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 deliveries of about 1,700 ordered aircraft could take up to 15 years due to global supply chain issues. The DGCA has also introduced several passenger-friendly measures, including new norms on seat allocation and ticket cancellations, though airlines have raised concerns over potential revenue impact.