NEW DELHI: In a major reform to strengthen aviation safety oversight and better protect air travellers’ interests, India has set the old plan of restructuring the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) into a financially and administratively autonomous organisation like SEBI or TRAI into motion. A Parliamentary panel had sought the restructuring to give teeth to the regulator as air traffic has grown exponentially in the last decade while in its current setup the DGCA battles legacy issues like staff shortage which can’t be tackled at the required pace.Based on the parliamentary committee’s advice and directions of the Union aviation ministry, the DGCA prepared a report outlining its proposed restructuring. The same is learnt to have been submitted this week to the ministry, including secretary Samir Kumar Sinha who is keen on having an autonomous aviation regulatory body on the lines of telecom and securities market regulators (TRAI & SEBI). Highly placed sources say the restructuring will happen in a “staggered manner” after the ministry takes a view on the DGCA report.It is learnt that the proposed restructuring of DGCA into CAA may also put in place a dedicated system to protect consumer interests and ensure their grievances are promptly redressed. The proposed CAA with statutory status will also see the latter getting a funding mechanism with the options being levying a small charge on flyers. A self-funded regulator not dependent on govt for grants will be able to offer market-linked salaries competitively to attract talent and invest in latest technology for effective oversight.The idea of having a truly autonomous Civil Aviation Authority has been in the works for years but it has got a push in recent times due to the growth in India’s air traffic with airlines having close to 2,000 planes on order; dozens of new airports opening and the skies getting crowded requiring more safety oversight. DGCA manpower didn’t keep pace with the growing air traffic. It recently started creating a “pool” of its retired technical officers “to provide advisory support in the certification process” due to the manpower crunch. “It has often been observed that applicants and entities face difficulties navigating the entire process, leading to delays and compliance challenges,” the regulator admits in its note for creating this pool.