New Delhi: Senior official Vir Vikram Yadav has been appointed as Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, PTI quoted an official order issued on Tuesday. Yadav is a 1996-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer and currently serves as deputy secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Kidwai, who had headed the aviation safety regulator for a little over a year, has been appointed as additional secretary in the Ministry of Personnel and Training. The leadership change comes as the DGCA grapples 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 over widespread service disruption at IndiGo in December 2025, lapses by multiple airlines, accidents involving non-scheduled operators and the fatal crash of an Air India plane in June last year. The DGCA has taken enforcement action, including fining IndiGo. Airline operations are also under pressure due to airspace restrictions related to conflicts in the Middle East, resulting in longer routes and higher fuel costs. Meanwhile, passenger demand in India’s aviation industry continues to grow strongly even as airlines grapple with aircraft shortages. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu recently said delivery of around 1,700 aircraft on order could take up to 15 years due to global supply chain issues. The CAAC has also introduced several passenger-friendly measures, including new norms on seat allocation and ticket cancellations, but airlines have expressed concerns about the potential revenue impact.
