The civil aviation industry in India has seen remarkable growth in recent years, becoming one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. It encompasses scheduled air transport services, including both domestic and international airlines, non-scheduled air transport services such as charter and air taxi operators, and air cargo services for the transportation of cargo and mail. With around 69% of the total airline traffic in South Asia coming from domestic flights, India’s airport capacity is expected to accommodate 1 billion trips annually by 2023. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian aviation industry has made a full recovery, evident in the substantial increase in air traffic movement from 131.61 million to 236.71 million in FY23 (April-December 2022).

The aviation sector in India entails several legal aspects that often require expert legal assistance, including:

1. Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring adherence to aviation laws, regulations, and policies governing air safety, operations, licensing, and security measures.
2. Airline Operations and Contracts: Assisting in the drafting and negotiation of various contracts and agreements in the aviation industry, covering aircraft leasing, purchase agreements, maintenance contracts, and airline partnership agreements.
3. Aircraft Financing and Leasing: Providing guidance on aircraft financing, leasing agreements, security interests, and regulatory compliance specific to aircraft finance transactions.
4. Airline Licensing and Permits: Assisting in obtaining the necessary licenses, permits, and clearances from regulatory authorities for airline operations, including air operator certificates (AOC) and route permits.
5. Aviation Infrastructure and Projects: Advising on legal aspects related to airport infrastructure projects, public-private partnerships (PPPs), concession agreements, and construction contracts.
6. Aviation Insurance and Liability: Assisting with aviation insurance matters, liability issues, and claims management, including passenger claims, cargo claims, and third-party liability claims.
7. International Air Law and Treaties: Providing counsel on international aviation agreements, air traffic rights, bilateral air service agreements, and compliance with international treaties and conventions.
8. Airline Competition and Antitrust: Advising on competition laws, antitrust regulations, and merger control in the aviation industry, including representation in competition investigations and proceedings.
9. Aviation Employment and Labor Laws: Assisting in compliance with employment laws, collective bargaining agreements, and occupational health and safety regulations specific to the aviation sector.
10. Dispute Resolution: Representing clients in resolving aviation-related disputes, including contractual disputes, aviation accidents, liability claims, and regulatory enforcement actions through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation.

At Vidhikrit Legal, we possess extensive expertise in dealing with all aspects of the aviation industry, and we are fully prepared to offer end-to-end assistance to all stakeholders in this sector.