Dhaka, Aug. 25 -- India's flight safety systems and passengers are at serious risk, a parliamentary report has warned, citing critical staff shortages at the national air safety regulator.

The review by lawmakers of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) came after the June 2025 crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives. The panel found a "profound and persistent shortage of technical and regulatory personnel," with recruitment gaps reaching up to 50pc.

Ironically, with India's aviation sector undergoing fast growth and as carriers acquire newer, more modern aircraft, the country's airport infrastructure is struggling to keep up. "This deficit is not a mere administrative statistic," the report signal...