New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said that it issued a decade-high 1,622 commercial pilot licenses (CPLs) in 2023.

Among these, 18.12 per cent were women pilots with a remarkable upswing of 22.5 per cent as compared to 2022, an official said.

According to DGCA, it is estimated that 14 per cent of the workforce employed with scheduled airlines consists of women pilots. "The record issue of total CPLs for 2023 has surpassed the previous milestone of 1,165 licences issued in the year 2022, witnessing a 39.22 per cent increase. This is the second consecutive year where the number of licences issued has witnessed a decade-high," DGCA Director Vikram Dev Dutt said.

This comes at a time when the country's civil aviation sector is recovering at a fast pace post the coronavirus pandemic, and several major operators like Air India and Indigo have announced placing of huge orders of new aircraft for commercial aircraft operations.

"The surge in licence issuance reflects the relentless efforts and rigorous standards upheld by the regulator to ensure safety, compliance, and increased operational demands of the aviation sector," Dutt added.

Additionally, to cater to the long-time demand of small business and helicopter operators, the regulator has granted approval for a new Helicopter Flying Training Organization to enable aspirants to undertake training and acquire commercial licenses for helicopters. "With this, it is expected that the helicopter industry largely engaged in regional connectivity services (RCS), pilgrimage, air-ambulance etc will shore up in terms of crew strength by receiving an additional pool other than ex-military pilots," he said.