The DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements define India’s domestic aviation standards, covering airworthiness, maintenance, passenger rights, and operational compliance. This page modularizes key CARs and links them to editorial overlays and incident summaries.
DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements: Key Standards and Passenger Rights
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) to regulate safety, maintenance, airworthiness, and passenger entitlements across domestic airspace. These modular directives, such as CAR-145, CAR-66, and Series M Part IV, form the operational backbone of India’s aviation infrastructure.
This page unboxes the most relevant CARs, linking them to real-world scenarios, editorial overlays, and compensation logic. Whether you’re triaging a lost baggage claim or decoding denied boarding rules, these requirements define the rights, responsibilities, and regulatory boundaries of air travel within India.
CAR-145 – Maintenance Organization Approval (2013)
Scope and Operational Standards
CAR-145 outlines the approval framework for organizations engaged in aircraft and component maintenance. Based on EASA Part-145 and adapted for Indian aviation under Rule 133B of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, this requirement ensures that maintenance providers meet rigorous technical, training, and compliance standards.
Key provisions include:
- Approval for the maintenance of large aircraft and commercial air transport fleets
- Guidelines for defect rectification by flight crew (e.g., de-icing fluid removal, panel closure)
- Training mandates: 35 hours of practical experience for flight crew in maintenance activities
- Inclusion of systems like Indicating & Recording, Water Ballast, and Propulsion Augmentation
This requirement forms the backbone of India’s airworthiness logic, ensuring that every aircraft declared fit for flight meets both technical and procedural integrity.
Series M Part IV – Passenger Compensation and Disruption Protocols (2010)
Baggage, Boarding, and Delay Entitlements
Issued on 6 August 2010, this requirement defines the minimum facilities and compensation owed to passengers in cases of Boarding denied, delayed flights, and baggage mishandling. It applies to both scheduled and non-scheduled operators, and covers domestic and international routes originating in India.
Key provisions include:
- Baggage Compensation: ₹20,000 cap for lost or damaged baggage unless the passenger declares a higher value at check-in
- Boarding Denied: ₹2,000–₹10,000 compensation depending on delay duration, if the carrier denies boarding despite a valid ticket and timely arrival
- Delayed Flights:
- 6 hours: Full refund or re-routing
- 24 hours: Hotel accommodation and meals
- Last-minute cancellations: Same entitlements as long delays
- Extraordinary Circumstances Clause: Airlines are exempt from compensation if delays or cancellations result from events beyond their control (e.g., political unrest, natural disasters, ATC decisions)
This requirement reframes passenger rights as operational obligations, declaring that we meet every disruption with clarity, compensation, and declared logic.
Involuntary Downgrade: Fare Refund and Compensation
Passengers who are involuntarily downgraded from a higher class of service (e.g., Business to Economy) due to lack of seat availability are entitled to compensation under DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements (Series M Part IV). This includes:
- Refund of the fare difference between the class booked and the class flown, including applicable taxes.
- Free carriage in the next available class, if the downgrade is refused and the passenger opts to wait.
- Additional compensation, subject to ceiling limits proposed by DGCA (currently under stakeholder consultation).
This provision applies even when the booking is under a unified PNR or involves a code-share flight. The policy of the operating carrier governs entitlements.
Editorial Tip: Always check downgrade clauses before booking mixed-class itineraries. Compensation is regulatory, not discretionary, even if the ceiling amount is pending final codification.
CAR-66 – Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licensing (2012)
Modular Exams and Type Rating Logic
Effective from 1 January 2012, CAR-66 harmonizes India’s aircraft maintenance licensing system with EASA Part-66, replacing fragmented licenses with a modular, competency-based framework. It governs the issuance, conversion, and endorsement of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) licenses for aeroplanes and helicopters.
Key provisions include:
- Modular Knowledge Exams: Covers airframe, engine, electrical, instrument, and radio systems under a unified syllabus
- Type Rating Endorsements: Requires both theoretical and practical exams for aircraft-specific certification
- License Conversion: DGCA transitions legacy licenses under CAR Section 2 Series L into the CAR-66 format
- Certification Privileges: Grants group type ratings and defines the scope of maintenance tasks per license category
This requirement modularizes maintenance authority, stipulating that the holder must earn every certification through demonstrated knowledge and documented skills.
Further Reading on DGCA Civil Aviation Requirements and Related Conventions
For a broader legal context, see our Air Transport Conventions page, which modularizes international frameworks like the Montreal Convention, Chicago Convention, and Tokyo Protocols. These global treaties complement DGCA’s domestic CARs, defining passenger rights, liability limits, and jurisdictional boundaries across borders.
For readers seeking the full scope of India’s aviation directives, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation maintains a comprehensive archive of Civil Aviation Requirements on its official portal. This external reference lists every active CAR by series and part, reinforcing the regulatory backbone behind maintenance approvals, passenger entitlements, and operational standards.