DGCA Tightens Rules For Foreign Airlines: Mandates Nomination Of An Indian Representative; May Revoke Carrier's Authorisation To Fly For Lapses In Compliances

Mumbai: India has significantly tightened the screws on foreign carriers in a move to assert regulatory sovereignty over its rapidly expanding skies. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a new set of stringent guidelines that grant the regulator the explicit power to suspend or revoke the operating authorisation of foreign airlines for safety lapses or non-compliance.

​For decades, foreign carriers operated under a relatively loose regulatory framework compared to their Indian counterparts, often shielded by Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA). This new directive, overseen by the new DGCA chief Vir Vikram Yadav, levels the playing field and signals that international airlines can no longer operate in India with regulatory long-distance immunity.

​The updated framework introduces several landmark mandates designed to streamline oversight and protect Indian passengers. ​Foreign airlines are now required to nominate or appoint a local representative based in India. This representative must be an Indian citizen or an entity registered in India. They will serve as the primary point of contact for the DGCA and will be legally accountable for ensuring the airline's compliance with Indian aviation laws and will be mandated to report any safety incidents to the regulator within four hours.

​The DGCA now holds the big stick to cancel or suspend an airline’s permit to fly to India. Grounds for such action include failure to maintain international safety and security standards, changes in ownership where control is no longer with the designating country and failure to operate scheduled services to/from an Indian airport for four consecutive traffic seasons. leading to deemed suspension.

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​In a win for consumers, the aviation regulator has also mandated foreign airlines to establish a formal passenger grievance redressal mechanism. Previously, the DGCA’s remit over foreign carriers regarding passenger complaints was limited. Now, these airlines must maintain a digital database of all complaints, submit periodic reports to the DGCA and adhere to the same consumer protection standards as Indian carriers.

​To ensure transparency, foreign airlines must now register on the E-Governance of Civil Aviation (eGCA) portal. The DGCA has made it clear that authorisations will no longer be open-ended as they will be granted for a maximum period of five years, requiring a fresh review of safety and operational records for renewal.

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