Initial NOC for starting air services to be valid for 3 years

The initial no-objection certificate for starting scheduled passenger and cargo airlines will now be valid for three years with the government tweaking existing norms to improve the ease of doing business in the aviation sector.

Civil Aviation Ministry's decision to extend the validity of such certificates also comes at a time when it is working to implement various provisions of the new civil aviation policy and also boost regional air connectivity.

Now, the initial No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued for various categories of airlines to start operations would now be valid for three years. Currently, the validity is only for one-and-a-half years.

Generally, these certificates are issued by the Ministry.

In a circular, the Ministry said existing procedure for grant of initial NOC for scheduled, non-scheduled and scheduled commuter air transport services has been reviewed "with a view to streamline the procedure and also ease of doing business in aviation sector".

The new validity timeline would be applicable for NOCs to operate scheduled passenger, regional as well as cargo air transport services. For these categories, the fee would be Rs 2 lakh.

With regard to NOC for operating scheduled commuter airlines, the fee would be Rs 2 lakh.

In the case of the initial NOC to operate non-scheduled passenger and cargo air transport services, the fee would be Rs 1.75 lakh, the circular, dated December 26, said.

As it looks to bolster regional air connectivity, a category of scheduled commuter operators has been put in place in the civil aviation policy.

Such operators would fly aircraft having a maximum All Up Weight (AUW) of not more than 40 tonnes while the minimum equity capital requirements would be on the basis of number and size of aircraft in the fleet. Such planes would be light weight.

"Commuter operators will predominantly provide connectivity on regular basis on domestic routes," as per the policy.