

Mint Explainer | One approval doesn’t make a market: Why new airline NOCs won’t break India’s aviation duopoly
Mint explains what the government’s NOC actually signifies, and why these approvals are unlikely, by themselves, to change the current structure of India’s aviation market any time soon.No. An NOC does not allow an airline to fly, sell tickets, or commence operations. It merely permits a company to begin the formal process of setting up an airline.Air Kerala illustrates the gap between approval and execution.
Operated by Zettfly Aviation Pvt. Ltd and founded by Indian-origin entrepreneurs based in the United Arab Emirates, the airline received the ministry’s NOC in mid-2024. Media reports suggested it aimed to begin regional operations in 2025.Yet it has not inducted a single aircraft, a prerequisite even to apply for an air operator certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Without an AOC, no airline can operate.The timing matters. The minister’s tweet came weeks after IndiGo’s operational disruption in early December, when thousands of passengers were left stranded, and fares surged across carriers. The episode revived concerns about India’s aviation market becoming a de facto duopoly, with IndiGo and Air India together controlling more than 90% of domestic capacity.Against that backdrop, the NOC announcement was widely read as a signal that the government was encouraging competition and expanding consumer choice.
Read on livemint.com