DGCA license to be mandatory for airports from 2011
23 Oct 2010
From July next year, airports not licensed with the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India would be barred from undertaking flight operations.
Under a notification to the effect, the DGCA continued inspections and safety audit at airports across the country, as part of its process, to grant licences to airport operators, including to state-owned Airports Authority of India.
The notification bars any person from operating scheduled air transport services to / from an aerodrome from 30 June, 2011, unless it has been licensed by DGCA.
A total number of 63 airports, including 53 operated by AAI are to be licensed. The rest inclusive of Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports, are owned either by the private sector or joint ventures.
With initial licenses issued to 15 airports, the DGCA has inspected 14 more for issuance. The regulator has till date received applications for licences from 15 airports even as there are 23 more which are yet to submit such applications.
In addition to these airports, there are 22 defence airports, with have civil enclaves that support civil aviation operations.
