Who runs Indian civil aviation

Free lesson · Air Regulations · DGCA CPL and ATPL

One new aircraft, VT-ONE, from the factory to the sky: at every stop, which body is in charge, and which laws sit behind them.

Who does what in Indian civil aviation?

Indian civil aviation

Follow one new aircraft, VT-ONE, from the factory to the sky. At every stop, see which of the three bodies is in charge.

  • Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)
  • The government ministry at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi. It makes India's aviation policy and looks after the Aircraft Act 1934 and Aircraft Rules 1937. Under it: DGCA, BCAS and IGRUA (attached or self-governing bodies); NACIL, AAI and Pawan Hans (government companies); and, oddly, the Commission of Railway Safety.
  • Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
  • India's safety regulator and its link with ICAO. Its 12 jobs: registration, airworthiness, licensing crew and engineers, licensing controllers, certifying aerodromes and CNS/ATM, Air Operator's Certificates, accidents and safety, amending the law, flexible use of airspace, noise and emissions, aircraft made in India, and dangerous goods.
  • Airports Authority of India (AAI)
  • Set up on 1 April 1995 by joining the two older airport bodies (one for international airports, one for national ones). Its 3 jobs: airports and terminals; Indian airspace and air traffic services; navigation aids and aeronautical information.
  • Factory
  • Indigenous aircraft
  • DGCA promotes aircraft and parts that are designed and made in India.
  • Register
  • Registration
  • DGCA registers civil aircraft in India.
  • Hangar
  • Airworthiness
  • DGCA sets the standards for fitness to fly and issues the certificate of airworthiness for Indian-registered aircraft.
  • Airline
  • Air Operator's Certificate
  • DGCA gives the AOC, the permit an Indian airline needs to operate. It also regulates and clears flights to, from, within and over India.
  • Ministry companies
  • Some operators belong to the Ministry itself: NACIL (the national airline company) and Pawan Hans (helicopters) are government companies under MoCA.
  • Crew
  • IGRUA
  • Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy, a flying academy, is a self-governing body under the Ministry.
  • Licensing crew and engineers
  • DGCA licenses pilots, flight engineers and maintenance engineers, and runs their exams and checks.
  • Licensing controllers
  • DGCA licenses air traffic controllers too.
  • Airport
  • Airports and terminals
  • AAI designs, builds, runs and maintains airports, civil areas at military airfields (civil enclaves), and passenger and cargo terminals.
  • Aerodromes and CNS/ATM
  • DGCA certifies aerodromes and the communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) facilities. AAI runs the airport; DGCA checks it.
  • BCAS and AAI
  • Airport security is overseen by BCAS, a body attached to the Ministry. AAI itself is a Ministry-owned company.
  • Cargo
  • Dangerous goods
  • DGCA approves airlines' dangerous goods training and authorises the carriage of dangerous goods.
  • Take-off
  • Noise and emissions
  • DGCA checks aircraft noise and engine emissions against ICAO Annex 16.
  • Sky
  • Airspace and air traffic services
  • AAI controls Indian airspace, including the airspace over the sea that ICAO has given India, and provides air traffic services.
  • Aids and information
  • AAI provides navigation aids (ILS, DVOR, DME, radar and visual aids) and information for pilots: AIP, NOTAMs, AIRACs and PIBs.
  • Flexible use of airspace
  • DGCA arranges sharing of airspace between civil and military users, and seeks more civil air routes through ICAO.
  • Incident
  • Accidents and safety
  • DGCA investigates accidents and incidents and works to prevent them, including safety management programmes.
  • New Delhi
  • Amending the law
  • When ICAO changes an Annex, DGCA brings Indian law up to date: the Aircraft Act and its Rules, plus the CARs (Civil Aviation Requirements). It also proposes new laws so that treaties India signs take effect.
  • Policy and the Acts
  • The Ministry, at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi, makes national aviation policy and looks after the Aircraft Act 1934 and the Aircraft Rules 1937. DGCA itself is attached to the Ministry.
  • Odd one out
  • Commission of Railway Safety
  • It handles rail safety under the Railways Act 1989, yet it sits under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Memory hook: Owner, Referee, Landlord. AAI runs the airport, DGCA certifies it. If it is a licence, a certificate or a rule, it is DGCA.

Takeaway: The Ministry is the owner: it makes policy and owns the other bodies. DGCA is the referee: it registers, certifies, licenses and investigates (12 jobs). AAI is the landlord: it runs the airports and the sky (3 jobs).

Which laws and rules govern a pilot in India?

Four areas

One Act sets up the regulators; Rules fill in the detail. Tap a box with + to open.

  • Indian aviation law an Act plus Rules Indian civil aviation is governed by the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 and the rules made under it, such as the Aircraft Rules 1937.
    • The Act and its bodies Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 The Act creates three bodies to run aviation, DGCA, BCAS and AAIB, and the Central Government is in charge of all three.
      • DGCA safety, operations, licensing Airworthiness, operations and licensing.
      • BCAS security, anti-hijacking Security oversight: keeping civil aviation safe from crimes like hijacking and terrorism.
      • AAIB accident investigation Investigates independently, under Annex 13, without assigning legal liability.
      • Penalties and powers 2 years, Rs 1 crore The authorities can ground unsafe aircraft and limit, suspend or cancel licences. Breaking the Act can bring jail for as long as two years, a fine as high as Rs 1 crore, or both.
        • General penalty 2 years or Rs 1 crore, or both Breaking a rule made under the Act: jail for as long as two years, a fine as high as Rs 1 crore, or both.
        • Waste or slaughter near aerodrome within 10 km: up to 3 years Killing animals or dumping rubbish within 10 km of an airport (it attracts birds): jail for as long as three years, a fine as high as Rs 1 crore, or both.
        • Power to detain aircraft The authorities can hold an aircraft on the ground if flying it would be dangerous or it is breaking the law.
        • Obstruction removal up to 20 km Rules can restrict or remove buildings and trees near airports, up to a 20 km radius, that endanger aircraft operations.
    • Aircraft and flying Aircraft Rules 1937 The Aircraft Rules 1937 are the main operating rules for aircraft in India. They sit alongside the newer Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024.
      • Certificates C of R and C of A An aircraft must be registered, hold a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, and carry its certificates on board.
        • Certificate of Registration valid until cancelled Aircraft are registered in Category A or B according to who owns them. The certificate stays valid until it is cancelled by DGCA.
        • Certificate of Airworthiness mandatory No flying without a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, the document that says the aircraft is safe to fly.
        • Carry both on board All valid documents, such as the registration and airworthiness certificates and licences, must be carried on board.
        • Flight without registration Central Government permit only An aircraft with no registration markings may fly only if the Central Government has given special written permission.
      • Prohibited areas no civil flight You may not fly over the areas in Schedule I without Government permission. A pilot who strays into one must signal distress, get out of the area and land at the nearest aerodrome.
      • Photography written permission needed Taking photographs at an aerodrome licensed by DGCA, or from an aircraft while it is flying.
      • Low flying banned No flying low or carelessly in a way that puts people or property in danger.
      • Refuelling safety 15, 30, 43 m During fuelling: only essential people within 15 m, no smoking or naked flames within 30 m, and fuelling stops if jet exhaust comes within 43 m.
        • Unauthorised persons 15 m Only essential personnel, such as crew, fuelling staff and officials, may be within 15 m while fuelling is in progress.
        • Naked lights 30 m No smoking, open flames or anything that could make a spark within 30 m of the aircraft or the fuel truck.
        • Jet exhaust 43 m Stop fuelling if a jet parks with its engines blowing hot exhaust within 43 m of the fuel truck or of the aircraft taking fuel.
        • Fuel spills never washed into drains If fuel is spilled, fuelling stops at once and the spill is cleaned up; fuel is never washed into drains.
    • Crew age, command, fitness Only licensed crew may fly aircraft. These rules cover crew age limits, who is in command, how many cabin crew, fitness to fly and logbooks.
      • Age 16 solo, 65 ceiling Minimum age for sole control is 16. The upper limit for commercial pilots is 65, and from 60 to 65 the other pilot must be under 60.
      • Pilot in command designated by the operator For each public transport flight, the operator designates one pilot as pilot-in-command; the Operations Manual sets the succession of command.
      • Cabin crew set by seating capacity The minimum number of cabin crew depends on the aircraft seating capacity, not on the number of passengers on board.
      • Fitness illness, alcohol, drugs No alcohol, sedatives or narcotics within 12 hours of flight, and an illness or injury of 15 days or more needs a new medical before flying.
        • Illness of 15 days or more privileges stop If illness or injury kept you away from duty for 15 days or more, your licence stops being valid until you pass a new medical.
        • Alcohol and drugs none within 12 hours Flight crew must not take alcohol, sedatives or narcotics within 12 hours of flight.
      • Logbook certified quarterly, kept 5 years Every licensed crew member keeps a personal logbook written in ink. It is certified every three months and kept for 5 years or more after the last entry.
    • Health and special rules health, dangerous goods, drones Further rules cover public health at airports, transport of human remains, dangerous goods and drones.
      • Airport health office (APHO) quarantine and screening The Airport Health Organisation, under the Directorate General of Health Services, deals with health at airports, such as yellow fever checks and quarantine.
      • Incubation periods 5, 6 and 14 days Cholera 5; yellow fever and plague 6; smallpox and typhus 14.
      • Human remains banned for some diseases If someone died of yellow fever, plague, anthrax or glanders, their body cannot be brought into India.
      • Dangerous goods ICAO Doc 9284 Dangerous goods may be carried by air only under ICAO Technical Instructions and DGCA rules; operators, shippers and handlers share responsibility.
      • Drone Rules 2021 own framework for drones The Aircraft Rules 1937 do not apply to drones except for specific provisions.

Takeaway: The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 creates DGCA, BCAS and AAIB; the Aircraft Rules 1937 and other Rules cover aircraft, crew, fuelling and health.