NEW DELHI: In order to provide adequate manpower to deal with exigencies, the Civil Aviation Ministry is looking to appoint personnel on deputation to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau ( AAIB), which has now become an independent body.

The Ministry has written to the Department of Personnel and Training ( DoPT ) in this regard, a senior official said.

While the regulatory framework has been put in place for functioning of AAIB as an entity independent of aviation watchdog DGCA , the recruitment rules are yet to be finalised.

As many as 21 positions at AIIB, including the post of Director General (DG), have been notified.

According to the official, the Ministry is awaiting approval of DoPT for taking people on deputation at AAIB. Such an arrangement would help carry out the functions of the board pending finalisation of the recruitment norms which would take some more time, he added.

Discussions have been completed with DoPT on the draft recruitment rules for AAIB and the document would be put up for public comments soon.

AAIB was under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and making it an independent body was required under ICAO norms.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a specialised agency under the United Nations which has the mandate to ensure that local civil aviation operations and regulations in different countries are in conformity with global norms.

With AAIB becoming an independent body, concerns about possible conflict of interest would be addressed.

The bureau, which was made a separate division under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2012, has the responsibility of investigating all major aircraft incidents and accidents in the country.

The AAIB takes the help of experts on a case-to-case basis while probing aircraft accidents.