DGCA instructs AAI to not allow unapproved charter flights from UAE to land in India

New Delhi: Charter flights coming from the UAE that do not have approval from the state government concerned in India must not be allowed to land here, aviation regulator DGCA told the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Wednesday, July 16.

“It has been noticed that some of the charter flights from UAE to India did not have requisite Indian state consent required for the operation of such flights,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a letter to the AAI.

“In view of the above, it has been decided that the airline shall submit the approval of the concerned state government to the ATC (air traffic control) of the point of destination prior to their departure from airports in UAE,” it added.

The AAI manages most of the airports and their ATCs in the country. “ATC shall not allow the arrival unless the above approval is provided to them,” the DGCA said.

India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after they were grounded for two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23. However, international charter flights approved by the DGCA are allowed to operate.