The government has approved filling up of 700 posts in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is in a rush to meet critical conditions set by its US counterpart to meet global safety standards, to beef up the functioning of the aviation regulatory body.

A team of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is expected to be in New Delhi later this month to carry out a safety audit, which is meant to standardise Indian and American regulations and enable DGCA to retain the premium Category-I rating of the US regulator.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said about 700 posts, both new ones and those lying vacant, have been sanctioned. Most of the posts to be filled up are in DGCA's air safety and investigation wings.

Maintaining that safety issues would be the top priority for him, Praful Patel has said rapid growth in the aviation sector, surpassing infrastructural capabilities, has brought about new challenges.

Admitting that manpower shortage was a stumbling block for DGCA to efficiently function as the country's aviation regulator, official sources said the process of recruitment for DGCA would begin soon.