Overview
- Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu announced this week that Al Hind Air and FlyExpress received No Objection Certificates, joining previously cleared Shankh Air.
- An NOC permits setup activities but not commercial flying, with each applicant still required to secure a DGCA Air Operator Certificate, aircraft, crew and proving flights.
- IndiGo controls roughly 65% of domestic traffic and, together with the Air India Group, accounts for close to 90% of the market, a concentration spotlighted by IndiGo’s mass cancellations earlier this month.
- Al Hind Air, promoted by Kerala-based Alhind Group, plans regional commuter services using ATR 72-600 aircraft from a Kochi hub, while FlyExpress has disclosed limited operational details.
- Shankh Air is reported to be targeting a 2026 start, and officials cite UDAN-driven regional links as a model even as industry experts warn many NOC-holders never reach operations due to high costs and thin margins.