The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has introduced comprehensive rules for ground handling service providers (GHSP). The new regulations, which must be implemented within six months, address the increasing complexity of ground operations amid the rapid growth in aircraft movements and the rise of third-party ground handling services.

A senior DGCA official highlighted the need for these measures, noting that the sector had previously lacked specific regulations. The official told mid-day, “This was an area hitherto uncovered under any existing regulations.” The regulator has issued a set of rules that aim to provide for safe ground handling at airports given the “phenomenal growth (in) aircraft movements, a corresponding increase in complexity of ground operations and proliferation of third-party ground handling services,” said another senior DGCA official.