17 scheduled airlines in country, DGCA issues 718 Air Operator Certificate

There are 17 scheduled airlines operating in India while the number of aircrafts endorsed by the aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) on the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) is 718.

As per a written reply by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Rajya Sabha on Monday, at present, there are 148 operational airports in the country, which includes 137 airports, two water aerodromes and nine heliports. There were 96 operational airports of the Airports Authority of India as on March 2017.

VGF (Viability Gap Funding) amount of around Rs 2,454 crore has been released to selected airline operators as on March 7, 2023, for the operation of UDAN flights across the country.