New Delhi: The crash of the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London on June 12, shortly after taking off has brought back focus on aviation safety. A parliamentary standing committee report tabled in parliament in March this year had flagged the “discrepancy in funding” which “raises important questions about the prioritisation of regulatory compliance over security infrastructure and accident investigation capabilities”. In addition, the report had also raised concerns about the high number of vacancies across key aviation regulatory and operational bodies, particularly in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).The department related parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture in its Three Hundred Seventy Fifth Report on the Demands for Grants (2025-26) of Ministry of Civil Aviation headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha was tabled in parliament on March 25.The committee flagged that the 2025-26 allocation of funds across key aviation bodies is skewed, with the DGCA commanding the largest share of the budget in comparison to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).“The Committee observes that the Capital Outlay for BE [budgetary estimate] 2025-26 has a distinct imbalance in the allocation of funds across key aviation bodies. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), entrusted with regulatory oversight, commands the largest share of Rs 30 crore-nearly half of the total budget,” the report said.“While its role in ensuring compliance with aviation standards is indisputable, the justification for such a significant allocation must be carefully examined to ensure efficiency and accountability. The discrepancy in funding raises important questions about the prioritisation of regulatory compliance over security infrastructure and accident investigation capabilities.”The committee said that in comparison to the Rs 30 crores allotted to the DGCA, the BCAS and the AAIB together receive a far more “modest” allocation in view of “growing complexity of aviation security threats and the critical nature of accident investigations.”“In contrast, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) receive Rs 15 crore and Rs 20 crore, respectively. While regulatory compliance remains essential, the rapid expansion of aviation infrastructure – with airports increasing from 74 in 2014 to 147 in 2022 and a target of 220 by 2024-2025- necessitates proportional growth in security capabilities and accident investigation resources. In view of the growing complexity of aviation security threats and the critical nature of accident investigations, the Committee finds these allocations relatively modest,” the report said.The committee in its report in addition recommended “regular performance evaluations of DGCA and BCAS funding to ensure that these resources translate into tangible improvements in aviation safety, regulatory efficiency, and security preparedness.”‘Chronic understaffing could undermine safety, security, and service delivery standards’The committee also raised “serious” concern over the high number of vacancies across key aviation regulatory and operational bodies, particularly in the DGCA, BCAS and AAI.The committee was informed by the ministry through a written response that in the DGCA 879 of the total 1633 posts were vacant. The BCAS had 208 of the total 598 posts vacant, while the AAI had 3,265 vacancies of the total 19,269 sanctioned posts.“The DGCA, responsible for aviation safety and regulatory oversight, has a vacancy rate exceeding 53 percent, raising fundamental concerns about its capacity to enforce aviation safety standards effectively,” the report said.“Similarly, BCAS, which is tasked with maintaining aviation security, has nearly 35 percent of its sanctioned posts unfilled, posing risks to the robustness of security oversight at airports. AAI, managing critical airport infrastructure and air traffic services, has over 3,200 vacancies, representing nearly 17 percent of its sanctioned strength, potentially impacting operational efficiency and airport expansion.”“The Committee is deeply concerned that chronic understaffing in these institutions could undermine safety, security, and service delivery standards, particularly as air traffic volumes continue to rise,” the report added.The committee urged the ministry to “expedite the recruitment process” in order to ensure that “regulatory oversight, security enforcement, and airport operations are not compromised.”