**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding the evaluation of airline operations, risks to national mobility, and proposed structural reforms in the aviation sector. The questions were to be answered on February 12, 2026. The response focuses on the government's commitment to a balanced, competitive, and resilient civil aviation ecosystem.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Government Commitment:**
* The government is dedicated to promoting a balanced, competitive, and resilient civil aviation ecosystem.
* The goal is to prevent national connectivity from being negatively impacted by operational disruptions in a single airline.
* **Deregulation and Operational Freedom:**
* With the repeal of the Air Corporations Act, the Indian aviation sector has been fully deregulated.
* Airlines can now freely operate flights and deploy capacity based on commercial viability and market considerations.
* **Policy and Capacity Diversification:**
* Capacity diversification is encouraged through rationalizing traffic rights and expanding airport infrastructure.
* Facilitating fleet induction by multiple carriers.
* Broadening regional air connectivity under the UDAN Scheme which allows multiple airlines to operate on underserved and unserved routes.
* **Monitoring and Contingency:**
* The DGCA monitors airline schedules, crew planning, and operational preparedness to ensure adequate resilience and contingency buffers.
* These measures aim to ensure that the growth of domestic connectivity is broad-based.
* **Regional Connectivity:**
* Regional and remote area connectivity is supported through policy interventions, including the UDAN Scheme.
* The Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) are in place to ensure a balanced deployment of capacity across trunk, regional, and remote routes, supporting air services to less-served areas.
**Impact Analysis**
**Airlines**
* **Impact:** Greater operational freedom and opportunities for capacity deployment based on commercial viability. Enabled to operate on underserved routes through the UDAN Scheme. Subject to DGCA monitoring for schedules and operational preparedness.
* **Action Required:** Adhere to DGCA guidelines regarding schedules, crew planning, and operational preparedness. Explore opportunities presented by the UDAN Scheme.
**Consumers**
* **Impact:** Increased availability of air services to regional and remote areas. Protection of interests through government monitoring and the promotion of competition among carriers.
* **Action Required:** Be aware of the increased availability of flights to less-served areas, and know that the government has taken steps to ensure fair competition.
**Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing policies and monitoring airline operations to ensure a balanced and resilient aviation ecosystem.
* **Action Required:** Continue to promote policy interventions such as the UDAN Scheme and ensure the effective implementation of the Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG).
Key Entities Referenced
UDAN Scheme: A scheme to enable several airlines to operate on underserved and unserved routes, broadening regional air connectivity.
Ministry of Civil Aviation: The government ministry responsible for civil aviation in India.
Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG): Guidelines to ensure balanced deployment of capacity across trunk, regional and remote routes.
Air Corporations Act: An Act that was repealed to fully deregulate the Indian aviation sector, allowing airlines to operate flights and deploy capacity based on commercial viability.
DGCA: Monitors airline schedules, crew-planning and operational preparedness.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2230
( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12th February 2026 )
EVALUATION OF AIRLINE OPERATIONS
2230. SHRI VE VAITHILINGAM
Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION
be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government has evaluated a situation in which one airline controls a
very large market share that may result in systemic vulnerability including sudden
service breakdowns and fare escalation during operational troubles;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the details of the Government's assessment on
risks to national mobility including availability of flights to remote regions, protection
of consumer interests and support for competition among carriers for balanced growth;
and
(c) whether the Government proposes to undertake structural reforms to encourage
wider participation in the aviation sector through measures such as fair slot allocation,
transparent route policies and safeguards to ensure uninterrupted air services even if a
dominant airline faces operational strain and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)
(a) to (c) : The Government remains committed to promoting a balanced, competitive
and resilient civil aviation ecosystem so that national connectivity is not adversely
impacted by operational disruptions in any single airline. With the repeal of the Air
Corporations Act, the Indian aviation sector has been fully deregulated, and airlines are
free to operate flights and deploy capacity on routes based on their commercial viability
and market considerations. At the policy level, capacity diversification is being
encouraged through rationalisation of traffic rights, expansion of airport infrastructure,
facilitation of fleet induction by multiple carriers, and broadening of regional air
connectivity under the UDAN Scheme, which enables several airlines to operate on
underserved and unserved routes. Additionally DGCA monitors airline schedules, crew-
planning and operational preparedness to ensure that carriers maintain adequate
resilience and contingency buffers. These measures collectively ensure that the growth
of domestic connectivity is broad-based. Regional and remote area connectivity is
supported through policy interventions such as the UDAN Scheme. Further, the Route
Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) are in place to ensure balanced deployment of capacity
across trunk, regional and remote routes, thereby supporting availability of air services
to less-served areas alongside major routes.
******