DGCA Tightens Norms For Foreign Airlines

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued revised norms on 26 April 2026 for foreign airlines operating in India. The order covers safety compliance, local representation, passenger grievance handling, and airport-specific authorisation for scheduled services.

Regulatory Powers Of DGCA

The DGCA is India’s civil aviation regulator under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It regulates safety, airworthiness, licensing, and operational standards for airlines operating in Indian airspace and at Indian airports.

• The DGCA can revoke or suspend a foreign airline’s authorisation for failure to meet safety standards.
• The DGCA can act against lapses in ownership and control when they are not vested with the designating country.
• The DGCA can consult the designating government before taking action, except in urgent cases.

Local Representative And Compliance

Foreign airlines operating in India must nominate or appoint a local representative to deal with the regulator. The proposed March 2026 framework stated that the representative must be an Indian national or a registered Indian entity, and the airline remains liable for lapses by the representative.

• Foreign airlines must establish an effective passenger grievance redressal mechanism.
• Foreign airlines must maintain a complaints database and submit periodic reports to the DGCA.
• Foreign airlines were also proposed to register digitally on the DGCA e-governance portal, known as eGCA.

Traffic Rights And Airport Operations

Foreign airlines must apply for additional flights at least seven working days in advance. Such applications must remain within bilateral traffic rights and approved airport slots.

• If a foreign airline does not operate scheduled services to or from an Indian airport for four traffic seasons, its authorisation for that airport is deemed suspended.
• The rule applies to airport-specific authorisation as of 26 April 2026.

Key Aviation Terms

Bilateral traffic rights are the air service rights exchanged between two countries under bilateral air services agreements. Traffic seasons in civil aviation are standard scheduling periods used by airlines and airports for route planning and slot allocation.

Exam-Relevant Context

India’s foreign airline regulation is linked to safety oversight, market access, and compliance with bilateral air service agreements. The eGCA platform is the DGCA’s digital system for aviation-related registrations and approvals.