A reckoning for India’s aviation sector, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• India's civil aviation sector faced significant disruptions in the past year, including the June 2025 Ahmedabad crash and mass flight cancellations.
• IndiGo, holding 63-65% of the domestic market share, experienced a major disruption in December 2025 due to pilot shortages and new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued over 5,700 Commercial Pilot Licences (CPL) between 2020 and 2024, while the estimated pilot requirement is 7,000 between 2024 and 2026.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for three new regional airlines: Shankh Air, Al Hind Air, and FlyExpress in December 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• India's aviation sector, the world's third-largest domestic market, is dominated by a duopoly of IndiGo and the Air India group, controlling nearly 90% of passenger traffic.
• FDTL norms implementation exposed IndiGo's vulnerability with a pilot-to-aircraft ratio of 14, below the global benchmark of 18-20, leading to schedule disruptions.
• The DGCA faces capacity constraints with nearly half of its technical positions vacant, leading to ad hoc crisis management through schedule exemptions.
• New regional airlines, including Shankh Air, Al Hind Air, and FlyExpress, aim to improve regional connectivity, particularly under the UDAN scheme, but require active policy support for survival.
• Past airline failures like Paramount Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, TruJet, and Go First, highlight challenges such as cost competition and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) price volatility.
• The DGCA issued 19 safety violation notices in late 2025, citing breaches of FDTL norms and lapses in quality assurance, indicating systemic issues.
• Addressing constraints in India's aviation sector is crucial, as domestic demand is projected to reach 715 million passengers by 2030.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL): Regulations that limit the amount of time pilots can be on duty to prevent fatigue.
• No Objection Certificate (NOC): A legal document issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, required to start an aviation business.
• UDAN Scheme: A regional airport development and regional connectivity scheme by the Indian Government.