The Government of India has approved No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for two new airlines, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress. The move comes after IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, unexpectedly cancelled flights, creating havoc at the airports across the country and leaving passengers stranded. The step aims to reduce the risks of over dependence on Indigo and Air India, which are reigning Indian skies with passenger traffic of 60% and 25%, respectively.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced late Tuesday that his ministry had met with applicants of three new airlines over the past week. Shankh Air had already received its clearance earlier, while Al Hind Air and FlyExpress were granted approval this week.
What is NOC
This NOC is the first official permission that allows a company to setting up an airline. However, it does not mean the airline can start flying passengers immediately. To actually operate flights, the company must later obtain an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Getting an AOC is a tougher process. Airlines must prove they have enough financial strength, acquire aircraft, hire trained pilots and crew, set up safety systems, and complete test flights under DGCA supervision. Only after meeting these requirements the airlines can begin commercial operations.
New Entrants and Their Plans
Al Hind Air has been promoted by the Kerala based Alhind Group. FlyExpress is backed by a courier and cargo services company from Hyderabad. Shankh Air, which already has its NOC, plans to connect regional and metro routes, with a special focus on cities in Uttar Pradesh such as Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, and Gorakhpur.
Minister Naidu said that encouraging new airlines is a priority for the government. He pointed to schemes like UDAN, which stands for “Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik”. This programme helps smaller airlines providing flights to cities that were previously underserved. Carriers such as Star Air, IndiaOne Air, and Fly91 have already expanded connectivity under this scheme.
Why More Competition Is Needed
India’s domestic aviation market is currently dominated by two players. IndiGo controls more than 60 per cent of passenger traffic, while the Tata owned Air India Group holds about 25 per cent. Smaller airlines like Akasa Air and SpiceJet have much smaller shares.
Earlier this month, IndiGo had a lot of delays and cancellations, which created room for more airlines to end the monopoly in the domestic aviation sector. Indigo had a hard time getting used to the new rules for crew scheduling, which compelled pilots to take longer breaks. Due to this, hundreds of flights were cancelled, leading to a large part of the fleet being grounded, and passengers were stuck.
The incident showed how problems at one major airline can quickly affect the entire aviation network. The Competition Commission of India is now reviewing IndiGo’s market position under competition rules.
The Road Ahead
With Al Hind Air, FlyExpress, and Shankh Air entering the scene, the government hopes to spread passenger traffic across more carriers. This could reduce the risk of widespread disruption if one airline faces trouble.
For now, the new airlines must complete the demanding process of securing their Air Operator Certificates before they can take off commercially. The approvals mark the beginning of their journey, but the real test will be whether they can meet the financial, technical, and safety standards required to operate in India’s fast growing aviation sector.
