Vir Vikram Yadav appointed as new DGCA chief in bureaucrat rejig

The government has appointed Vir Vikram Yadav as director general of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), replacing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, as part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Tuesday.The reshuffle also saw Puneet Kansal, a 1996-batch IAS officer, appointed as additional secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.Yadav is a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre and was serving as additional secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Meanwhile, Kidwai—also a 1996-batch IAS officer—has been appointed additional secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training.Also Read: Government Mandates 60% Free Seats, Adjacent Seating for Same BookingYadav’s appointment comes at a time when the aviation sector is grappling with disruptions linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has led to airspace restrictions, longer flight routes and higher fuel costs. The reshuffle also comes amid domestic operational challenges, including widespread flight disruptions in December, and scrutiny following the June 2025 Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. The incident remains under investigation.In recent months, the regulator has moved to deregulate fares by withdrawing temporary price caps imposed in December, allowing airlines greater flexibility to respond to rising costs and volatile demand conditions.At the same time, the DGCA has introduced passenger-centric measures, including mandating that airlines offer at least 60 percent of seats on every flight free of charge from April 20, up from 20 percent earlier, alongside greater transparency in ancillary pricing.

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