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India Publishes Draft Rules Tightening Oversight of Foreign Airlines

Feedback on the draft AIC is open until April 9.

Overview

  • Proposals would require each foreign carrier to appoint an India-based local representative and set up a formal passenger grievance mechanism.
  • Applications for operating authorisation must include detailed ownership, fleet and five-year safety records, plus maintenance and ground-handling arrangements at Indian airports.
  • Authorisations would be valid for up to five years, with the DGCA able to seek information, conduct inspections, impose conditions, or suspend or revoke approvals for non-compliance.
  • Airport-specific approvals could be suspended if a carrier does not operate to that airport for four consecutive IATA seasons.
  • The draft shifts applications and schedule processing to the eGCA digital platform, allowing limited schedule revisions without prior approval and enabling permissions outside normal office hours.