India Proposes Stricter Oversight For Foreign Airlines Under New DGCA Guidelines
The amended rules provide for more oversight for India over the foreign airlines operating here.
Published : March 11, 2026 at 6:37 PM IST
By Chanchal Mukherjee
New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has invited comments from stakeholders on the proposed amendments to the ‘Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC)'. Issued in 2020, the framework outlines the procedural and regulatory requirements for foreign carriers seeking operating authorisation in India.
Once passed, the revision will mean more oversight for India over the foreign airlines operating here. Under the Bilateral Air Services Agreements, the scheduled operations are to and from India; each party has the right to designate an airline or airlines to operate the agreed services on specified routes and to withdraw or alter those designations.
“Such designations will be made in writing and transmitted to the other party through diplomatic channels and will identify whether the airline is authorised to conduct the type of air services sought to be operated", as per DGCA.
According to the authority, these agreements further provide that upon receipt of such designation and application from the designated airlines of a foreign country in the form and manner prescribed for the purpose, the aeronautical authority of India will grant the appropriate operating authorisation. This is provided that substantial ownership and effective control of that airline are vested in the party designating the airline or its nationals.
Additionally, the designated airline must be qualified to meet the conditions prescribed under the laws and regulations normally applied to the operation of international air services, and the party designating the airline must maintain and administer the standards about safety and aviation security outlined in the bilateral Air Services Agreement.
To ensure compliance with the provisions of the respective bilateral Air Services Agreement by the airline designated to operate scheduled international air services to and from India, the following requirements are laid down.
Designation of airline
The airline will be designated by the government of the airline's country in accordance with the bilateral air services agreement concluded between that country's government and the Indian government.
The designation will be made through diplomatic channels, clearly mentioning the relevant provision of the Air Services Agreement and/or the Memorandum of Understanding under which the designation is made.
Registration on the civil aviation portal
An airline will register itself on the Civil Aviation portal for the submission of its applications to operate scheduled air services to/from/over India by creating a unique login ID and password.
For registration, needs documents including the legal name of the airline and an authenticated copy of its incorporation certificate or equivalent document as per their applicable national laws, details and copy of the airline's valid Air Operator Certificate issued by the Aeronautical Authority responsible for safety oversight of the airline, and registered and foreign correspondence address of the airline along with an authenticated copy of the airline's Article of Association (AoA).
Passenger grievance redressal mechanism
According to the DGCA, the airline will be responsible for all acts or omissions done by the local representative in discharge of its responsibilities assigned by the airline or specified herein and shall immediately replace the local representative if, at any point in time, the airline or DGCA observes frequent lapses in functioning or discharging responsibilities of the local representative.
The airline will be responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective Passenger Grievance Redressal Mechanism (PGRM) and ensuring that all passenger complaints, disputes, or operational discrepancies are addressed promptly, fairly, and transparently.
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