DGCA eases norms for Indian carriers launching new foreign destinations

Current 33-point checklist pruned to 10 points related to airlines' preparedness for intended operations

Directorate General of Civil Aviation has relaxed its norms making it easier for Indian carriers to launch new overseas destinations.

DGCA assesses the preparedness of Indian airlines before permitting them to fly to a new foreign destination. "In order to further ease the process of granting such permissions, the existing regulatory requirements have been comprehensively reviewed in consultation with all stakeholders and the current 33-point checklist has been rationalised and reduced to a 10-point checklist related to their preparedness for the intended operations," the DGCA said in a statement on Monday.

The process simplification comes amid Indian carriers' expansion plans and civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's call to develop an aviation hub in India.

Nearly two-thirds of India's international passenger traffic is carried by foreign airlines. The share of Indian carriers however is rising and they carried over 43 per cent international traffic in January-March 2023 compared to over 39 per cent in October-December quarter of 2019 (passenger flights were impacted and eventually suspended due to Covid-19 in March 2020).

DGCA said the revised process will  significantly reduce the documentation required to be completed by airlines with the dropping of redundant and generic provisions in existing checklist.