New Year upgrade: all airports need licences

While the initial decision was that the nine international airports will be licensed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by December 31, there is now a move to give a few months’ extension. The deadline is expected to be March 31 for all airports, international and domestic.

Until now, the Airports Authority of India was both the operator and the overseeing authority for airports across the country. This gave AAI the room to overlook key issues related to operational standards despite complaints by users, both airlines and passengers.

According to the new rule, no scheduled airline will operate to and from any international airport unless it has been licensed by the DGCA. The pre-requisite for this is that each airport should have a manual listing out details of its operational facilities and safety procedures.

This is the first step towards raising the general level of airport functioning in the country as a licence will be up for renewal every two years. However, licences can be granted for shorter durations depending on the fee paid by the operator.

Incidentally, private airfields like Lengpui in Mizoram and Satya Sai airfield in Andhra Pradesh have been licensed in the past, but AAI-run airports did not come under the DGCA purview. Officials point out that all over the world airports receive licenses from the country’s apex civil aviation regulatory authority.

The situation in India, however, has been peculiar with AAI vesting in itself both roles. In fact, it is after this decision that the AAI has got busy preparing manuals for Delhi, Mumbai and other international airports.

A decision on an operating license gathered significance after private players began entering the fray. For its part, the DGCA has already laid down rules and stipulated a license fee for this purpose. It is also in close touch with AAI to ensure that the deadlines are observed because an ICAO team will be India to monitor the progress.