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India tightens rules for foreign airlines to boost safety and passenger rights
The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation does not want foreign airlines to arbitrarily suspend services without giving adequate notice to ensure continuity of service for Indian passengers
- PUBLISHED: Mon 27 Apr 2026, 4:00 PM
Tough new rules have been introduced for foreign airlines operating to and from India by the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This means, the regulator can now revoke or suspend the authorisation of overseas carriers for failure to meet required safety standards.
Vir Vikram Yadav, the new DGCA chief, said foreign carriers can now nominate or appoint a representative to deal with DGCA. They must also establish an effective passenger grievance redressal mechanism, set up a complaints database and also give reports to the DGCA.
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Yadav said these moves are part of efforts to improve transparency, compliance and accountability.
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Foreign airlines will have to ensure that their operations align with India’s civil aviation laws. The regulator can now suspend the operating authorisation of a foreign operator if it fails to maintain scheduled operations for four consecutive IATA seasons at specific Indian airports.
This is to ensure that airlines do not arbitrarily suspend services from airports without giving adequate notice and would help maintain continuity in service for Indian passengers.
Foreign airlines will have also have to register on the DGCA’s ‘eGovernance of Civil Aviation (eGCA) portal.
Additionally, a passenger grievance mechanism will enable travellers to complain to the DGCA if they feel the foreign airline has failed to meet required service standards.
Over 90 airlines operate international flights to and from India. They include over 80 foreign carriers. Of the 160-plus airports in India, 33 have international flights. In April 2026, 70 per cent of seats were in the domestic sector and the rest international ones.
Delhi is the busiest airport in the country, handling 3 million seats in April. It is followed by Bengaluru (1.9 million seats) and Mumbai (1.8 million).
According to the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, there were more than a thousand departing and arriving international flights in the country on Sunday, handling over 193,000 passengers. In contrast, there were over 6,400 departing and arriving domestic flights handling almost a million passengers.
