Hours after releasing consumer-friendly refund norms, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation fired another salvo on 26 February 2026—this time aimed at its own capacity constraints. Public notices published on the regulator’s website and in national newspapers invite applications for 38 contractual consultant roles across Airworthiness, Air Safety, Flying Training and International Relations & Legal Affairs. The watchdog currently operates with just 843 employees against a sanctioned strength of 1,630, a shortfall the Civil Aviation Ministry flagged in Parliament earlier this month. The shortage has raised concerns about audit backlogs, aircraft-lease approvals and the pace of policy drafting—areas with direct consequences for airlines and, by extension, corporate mobility programmes.
![DGCA to plug staffing gap, advertises 38 consultant posts in airworthiness, safety and legal divisions]()
For travel managers and frequent flyers confronting those mobility challenges, VisaHQ offers a convenient way to arrange Indian business, crew and tourist visas entirely online. Its platform—accessible at https://www.visahq.com/india/—streamlines documentation, provides real-time status alerts and can integrate with company travel policies, freeing aviation teams to focus on routes and compliance while VisaHQ handles embassy queues.
Consultants, who can be up to 63 years old, will be hired initially for one year with possible extensions. Industry veterans note that bringing in ex-airline engineers and legal specialists on short contracts mirrors the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s use of “designees” to clear certification queues. For multinational firms operating private or charter fleets in India, faster processing of airworthiness directives and crew-training approvals could translate into reduced aircraft downtime. Airlines, meanwhile, expect relief on pending approvals for new routes and leased aircraft registrations, critical as carriers ramp up capacity to meet 20-plus per-cent traffic growth. The DGCA says the recruitment drive is part of a multi-pronged restructuring plan that also includes digitising document submission and expanding regional offices. Successful candidates are expected to join before the summer schedule begins on 31 March, signalling the regulator’s intent to stabilise oversight ahead of peak travel season.
For travel managers and frequent flyers confronting those mobility challenges, VisaHQ offers a convenient way to arrange Indian business, crew and tourist visas entirely online. Its platform—accessible at https://www.visahq.com/india/—streamlines documentation, provides real-time status alerts and can integrate with company travel policies, freeing aviation teams to focus on routes and compliance while VisaHQ handles embassy queues.
Consultants, who can be up to 63 years old, will be hired initially for one year with possible extensions. Industry veterans note that bringing in ex-airline engineers and legal specialists on short contracts mirrors the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s use of “designees” to clear certification queues. For multinational firms operating private or charter fleets in India, faster processing of airworthiness directives and crew-training approvals could translate into reduced aircraft downtime. Airlines, meanwhile, expect relief on pending approvals for new routes and leased aircraft registrations, critical as carriers ramp up capacity to meet 20-plus per-cent traffic growth. The DGCA says the recruitment drive is part of a multi-pronged restructuring plan that also includes digitising document submission and expanding regional offices. Successful candidates are expected to join before the summer schedule begins on 31 March, signalling the regulator’s intent to stabilise oversight ahead of peak travel season.
