Aviation Round -Up 2025

In India, traffic challans can quickly add up and become a significant financial burden.

Being hit with an unexpected traffic challan, especially if you believe it's been issued in error, can be frustrating.

Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 (Act No. 16 of 2024) (the "BVA"), which replaced the Aircraft Act, 1934, along with the Drone Rules, 2021 ("Drone Rules"), as amended from time to time, provide the regulatory framework for drones in India.

The dispute in FW Aviation (Holdings) 1 Limited v VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company1 has been decided through three substantial judgments of the English Commercial Court (“English Court”). Together, they address whether the aircraft leases were validly terminated, sums payable as a result of termination, and the extent to which damages could be claimed for losses arising from the condition, detention and delay in eventual export of the aircraft.

Opening an aircraft maintenance facility in India requires navigating three parallel regulatory tracks that operate on different timelines: airworthiness approval from the DGCA, land and airside access from airport operators, and duty treatment from customs authorities. This comprehensive legal guide examines the statutory framework under the new Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, the CAR-145 organization approval process, airport land allocation challenges, customs duty exemptions, and the state-level clear

BH-Series registration marks offer a streamlined solution for vehicle owners who frequently relocate across states. This new framework eliminates the need for de-registration / re-registration every time you relocate...

Aircraft maintenance reserve clauses and redelivery conditions are the two provisions most likely to trigger multi-million dollar disputes at the end of an aircraft lease agreement. This article examines the mechanics of Maintenance Reserve Funds, explores escrow versus lessor-retained custody structures, and provides detailed guidance on drafting quantified redelivery conditions that eliminate ambiguity when exposure is highest.

Airline insolvency presents a particularly difficult problem for insolvency law because the assets most critical to keeping the airline operational may not belong to the airline at all. Aircraft are frequently held under operating leases. When an airline enters insolvency, therefore, the resolution professional (“RP”) may be required to preserve the corporate debtor as a going concern while the aircraft lessor seeks to enforce its contractual and international-law rights to recover possession of its aircraft.

The Rules carry the security regime of Chapter XI-2 of the Safety Convention and the ISPS Code into Indian law: security levels, plans, security officers, verification and certificates. They add local features too, including a 96-hour pre-arrival notification and a long schedule of fees and penalties.

India's civil aviation sector is preparing for a significant regulatory transition. The Aircraft Rules, 1937, which have governed the country's aviation framework for nearly nine decades, are set to be replaced by the Bharatiya Vayuyan Niyam, 2026. Notified by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 26 October 2026 and published in the Gazette of India on 31 October 2026, the new Rules will come into effect on 1 January 2027.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has issued a notification dated September 17, 2026, notifying INR 25,000 per month as the new wage ceiling for the purposes of the provident fund provisions (“PF“) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (“SS Code”). The notification is effective from September 17, 2026. The wage ceiling was last revised 12 years ago in September 2014, when it was increased from INR 6,500 per month to INR 15,000 per month.

On September 9, 2026, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs) notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (“Amendment Rules”), amending the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (“E-Commerce Rules”). The Amendment Rules will come into force on January 1, 2027.

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The Reserve Bank of India has introduced a new classification system for Non-Banking Financial Companies, fundamentally changing registration requirements based on public funding access, customer interface, and asset size thresholds. These regulatory changes create distinct compliance pathways for different NBFC categories while introducing new rules for group entities and overseas investments.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ("BNS") was enacted on December 25, 2023, repealing and replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860 ("IPC") as the new penal code of the country.

The Reserve Bank of India has introduced comprehensive new regulations consolidating the entire export-import framework, set to take effect from October 2026.

The Delhi High Court has ruled that arbitral awards must be stamped when signed, not when enforcement is sought, closing a decades-old practice of deferred stamp duty payment. Once the one-month statutory window expires, award holders cannot cure the deficiency through unilateral deposit and must pay both deficit duty and penalty at a fixed rate, fundamentally reshaping enforcement practice for arbitration practitioners across India.

India has introduced three new social security schemes under the Code on Social Security, 2020, effective July 1, 2026, fundamentally restructuring the country's provident fund, pension, and insurance frameworks. These schemes replace decades-old regulations and introduce special provisions including enrollment campaigns, damage relief programs, and retrospective exemptions for establishments. The new framework maintains contribution structures while introducing significant operational changes and transitio

On August 6, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India (‘RBI’) notified the RBI (Non-Banking Financial Companies – Responsible Business Conduct) Third Amendment Directions, 2026 and the RBI (Commercial Banks – Responsible Business Conduct) Fourth Amendment Directions, 2026, effective January 1, 2027.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), enacted on August 11, 2023, is India's principal data protection legislation.