INDIA'S NEW CARRIERS' TROUBLED FLIGHT PATH

An investigation into 3 airline hopefuls reveals a trail of compliance issues, court convictions and capital shortfall

- Dipali Banka, Abhishek Law & Varun Sood

On 23 December, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, India’s minister for civil aviation, posted an update on social media site X. It sparked endless speculation and fuelled a narrative of hope.

“Over the last one week, pleased to have met teams from new airlines aspiring to take wings in Indian skies,” Naidu wrote. “While Shankh Air has already got the NOC from ministry, AlHind Air and FlyExpress have received their NOCs in this week,” he added. The post was accompanied by three photographs showing five individuals associated with the three airlines.

NOC is short for no-objection certificate, the first step and a preliminary clearance before an airline obtains an air operator certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulator.

In reality, Shankh Air had received the nod in September 2024, followed by AlHind Air sometime before March last year, according to a response by the minister of state for civil aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, in the Lok Sabha. Only FlyExpress received an NOC in December.

The minister's update came amid growing concerns of a market duopoly—IndiGo and Air India have a combined share of 90% in the Indian skies. In the first week of December, IndiGo, which prides itself on on-time performance, cancelled more than 4,500 flights, bringing the country’s booming aviation sector to a halt.

So, what do we know about the three new aviation companies? Do they have the financial muscle to challenge the duopoly, going ahead? And who are the people running them?

Mint’s review shows that while one airline in the minister’s post is backed by a large travel group, a second one is led by a promoter whose fortunes shot up in quick time. The third entity is not a company—just a brand.