India's Ministry of Civil Aviation has repeatedly challenged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) since mid-2025 over the handling of conflicts involving officials' relatives in airlines, according to government documents reviewed by Reuters. The ministry expressed concerns that the DGCA has not been able to effectively prevent or manage the possible influence exercised by its officials in the recruitment or placement of their relatives, family members, or dependents. As reported by Reuters, a January DGCA document summarised these concerns, stating the regulator's inability to manage such conflicts effectively. The reprimand comes at a critical time for the DGCA as it oversees one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets while battling staffing shortages after a year of heightened scrutiny following an Air India Dreamliner crash, safety lapses at the airline and disruption at the country's largest carrier, IndiGo.
According to the government documents reviewed by Reuters, 51 DGCA officials had disclosed 59 relatives working in the sector as of January 31, up from 33 officials disclosing 41 relatives a year earlier. The relatives worked at companies including IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air, Airbus India and some flying schools and airport operators. A senior official with direct knowledge of the matter cited concerns about potential for regulatory influence as DGCA officers could withhold disclosure of relatives' employment at airlines they oversee and soften regulatory scrutiny. The official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, cited one example where a DGCA official was found to have around 12 relatives employed in the sector, but the ministry only learned about it after the officer's retirement. Indian rules prohibit federal employees from using their position or influence to secure jobs for family members, with officials required to make certain disclosures and obtain approvals in cases involving potential conflicts of interest.
A notable case involved a DGCA assistant director of engineering who was questioned about his apparent conflict of interest after his sister took up employment in Air India's quality department while he was involved in granting regulatory approvals affecting the airline. The DGCA argued that his sister was an independent widow and that the specific rule requiring prior approval covered only dependents like sons and daughters. However, the aviation ministry rejected this proposal, stating 'Sister comes under the purview of family,' the aviation ministry said in an August 2025 document, rejecting the DGCA's proposal to approve the case. 'Influence/involvement of officer can't be ruled out' and there remains ambiguity about the transparency and legitimacy of the appointment process. The ministry noted that 'there remains ambiguity about the transparency and legitimacy of the appointment process'. The issue of conflicts of interest has surfaced previously across India's public sector, with four DGCA officers censured in 2013 over such concerns.
Then-DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai last year sought more powers on several administrative matters, including authority to handle potential conflict-of-interest cases internally, arguing that the ministry approval process led to administrative delays. In a July 2025 letter, Kidwai argued that the ministry approval process led to 'administrative delays' and that decision-making should be streamlined. The ministry rejected this request, stating the DGCA's 'continued expression of inability to fix responsibility for delays or lack of approval has been alarming'. Kidwai, now posted to India's Department of Personnel & Training, did not respond to requests for comment. The ministry's January document stated that the DGCA's 'continued expression of inability to fix responsibility for delays or lack of approval has been alarming'. The documents did not indicate whether the ministry planned to take further action against the regulator.
Harsh Vardhan Pratap Singh, president of the Association of Flying Training Organisations, recommended that the DGCA should publish a list of officers whose relatives work in the sector it regulates. He stated that 'the fundamental methods to ensure the ultimate goal of safety are transparency in declarations by officers'. The DGCA is also contending with a federal police investigation after one of its officers was accused of taking a bribe and is due within months to undergo a routine US Federal Aviation Administration safety audit. U.S. ethics rules generally require officials to recuse themselves from matters where family relationships could reasonably call their impartiality into question, while Europe's aviation regulator requires declarations of interest and may restrict staff duties to manage conflicts.
