Regulatory & Sector-specific
Aviation and Aerospace Law
Advice on aviation regulation, aircraft operations and leasing, and carrier liability under the new aviation law and the DGCA framework.
Aviation is one of the most heavily regulated sectors, governed by a detailed framework of licensing, safety and operational rules administered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. That framework is being modernised: the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 has been enacted to replace the long-standing Aircraft Act, 1934. The firm advises operators, businesses and individuals on regulatory compliance, on aircraft transactions and leasing, and on the liability and disputes that arise in the sector.
These matters sit at the meeting point of regulation and commercial contract, and they are document and approval driven. The firm advises on both the regulatory approvals and the contracts that a transaction or operation needs.
Aviation regulation
Civil aviation is regulated under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 and the rules made under it, administered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, covering the design, manufacture, maintenance, possession, operation and import and export of aircraft. The firm advises on licensing, approvals and compliance within this framework.
Aircraft transactions and leasing
Aircraft are high-value assets, usually financed and leased through detailed cross-border arrangements. The firm advises on aircraft sale, lease and finance documentation and on the registration and security interests that protect the parties, alongside the regulatory consents these transactions require.
Carrier liability and disputes
Liability for passengers and cargo in air carriage is governed by the Carriage by Air Act, 1972, which gives effect to the international conventions, alongside consumer-protection remedies. The firm advises carriers and claimants on liability and conducts the resulting disputes.
The legal framework
The principal statutes and the provisions that most often decide these matters. Statute text can be read in the firm's Legal Library; always check the current version at the official source.
Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 · Act 16 of 2024
- Aviation framework — the new principal aviation statute, enacted to replace the Aircraft Act, 1934 and regulate aircraft and aviation activity.
Carriage by Air Act, 1972
- Carrier liability — liability for death, injury, delay and loss in air carriage, giving effect to the international conventions.
Aircraft Rules · DGCA framework
- DGCA — licensing, airworthiness, safety and operational regulation of civil aviation.
Key judgments
Grouped by issue. Each case is cited from the court's own record; open a heading to read it.
Aircraft leasing & insolvency 1
Go First aircraft de-registration Delhi High Court
Delhi High Court, 2024
When the airline Go First entered insolvency, the Delhi High Court addressed the conflict between the IBC moratorium and aircraft lessors' rights; aircraft were de-registered and the Government notified an exemption of aircraft and engines from the moratorium under the Cape Town Convention. It is the leading recent illustration of the insolvency-and-leasing interface in Indian aviation.
How we work on these matters
The firm advises on both sides of an aviation matter: the regulatory approvals and the commercial contracts that an operation or transaction needs.
Aircraft transactions are prepared on detailed documentation and on the registration and security that protect the parties.
Advice on regulatory exposure and on disputes is given plainly, in terms the business can act on.
Frequently asked questions
What is changing in Indian aviation law?
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 has been enacted to replace the Aircraft Act, 1934 as the principal aviation statute, with its provisions coming into force as notified. It largely carries forward the existing scheme while modernising it, and the firm advises on what the change means for a particular operation.
How is an aircraft lease or purchase handled?
Aircraft transactions involve detailed sale, lease and finance documentation, registration and security interests, and the regulatory consents that civil-aviation law requires. The firm advises on the contracts and on the approvals together, so the deal is both commercially sound and compliant.
What are an air carrier's liabilities to passengers?
Liability for death, injury, delay and loss in air carriage is governed by the Carriage by Air Act, 1972, which gives effect to the international conventions, with consumer-protection remedies in addition. The firm advises carriers and claimants on liability and on the resulting claims.
This note is general information on the law as at Jun 2026, not legal advice on any specific matter. The law changes; for advice on your facts, please speak to the firm.
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