New Delhi, Aug. 23 -- In the wake of the tragic June 12 crash of Air India FlightAI-171, which claimed 260 lives, India is contemplating a key reform to address long-standing manpower shortages in its civil aviation regulator.

Officials have proposed the creation of adedicated cadrefor theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-a move aimed at filling critical technical and regulatory positions more efficiently.

As India's aviation sector surges-now the world's third-largest domestic market, with over 350 million annual flyers-the DGCA has struggled to keep pace. Of its 1,644 sanctioned roles,823 remain unfilledas of July.

Highlighting the urgent need for staffing, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu informed Parliam...