New Delhi: Private jets registered abroad will no longer require the Defense Ministry’s approval to use certain airports owned by the Indian armed forces. Peppermint Have you learnt. The aviation ministry is pushing for relaxation of norms to ensure hassle-free movement of jets.
As per existing rules, in addition to YA clearance or Landing and Take Off Permit, an Air Operations Routine Order (AOR) number is required to land on any airstrip owned by the defense forces.
While YA clearance is granted by the civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation, owners of private jets need to submit an application to the Air Force or Naval Headquarters to obtain an AOR, as the case may be, 20-30 days before the flight schedule. .
“A dialogue took place between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Defense regarding the abolition of AOR requirements for foreign registered private jets. The idea is to ease the process of non-scheduled aircraft operations in the country, especially as some of these civil enclaves are major magnets for inbound tourism and trade,” said an official requesting anonymity.
The rules require a jet operator to submit an application at least 20 days in advance to the armed forces unit operating the airport, along with passport numbers and other details of foreign pilots and passengers.
If the current rules are withdrawn, it will come as a relief to the rich and famous visiting India, besides the various tourist charters plying to and from these airports.
In India, there are more than 20 civil enclaves (airports owned by the armed forces but also used for civilian flights) such as Dabolim Airport in Goa, Hindon, Srinagar, Jodhpur, Pune, Chandigarh and Gwalior.
“It remains to be seen what the Defense Ministry finally decides on this. Given that DGCA’s YA approval or prior permission is already in place for foreign registered, non-scheduled flights from civil enclaves, if the AOR can be dispensed with, at least for some airports, it will speed up the process. Will make it easier,” said another person with knowledge of the development, requesting anonymity.
In 2017, the central government ended the practice of obtaining DGCA’s prior permission or YA number for Indian-registered private jets to fly abroad. However, the flight plan still needs to be cleared by the concerned air traffic controller, which operates under the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Foreign registered non-scheduled aircraft operations came under scrutiny following the infamous Purulia arms-dropping case on 17 December 1995, when unauthorized arms were dropped from an Antonov AN-26 aircraft in Purulia district of West Bengal.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in travel via private jets, with many high net worth individuals and corporates looking for a safe and comfortable travel option.
In 2022, the Ministry of Civil Aviation decided to allow fractional ownership of business jets and helicopters to promote the growth of non-scheduled operations in the country. This allows owners to fly a certain number of hours per year based on their investment.
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