Dubai Airport rotation cap: FIA urges Centre to seek equal treatment for Indian carriers

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) asked the Centre to help remove Dubai airport limits affecting Indian carriers. FIA said Dubai Airport Authorities capped foreign airlines at one rotation daily. The grouping warned the cap was causing revenue losses and passenger disruption. FIA also raised concerns about fairness, as UAE-based airlines were not facing the same limits.

Representative image

In a letter sent last week to the Civil Aviation Secretary, FIA said the restrictions were already shaping an anti-competitive market. FIA represents Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. The federation said Indian airlines were facing operational inefficiencies and lower earnings. FIA linked the situation to disruption on Dubai routes during the ongoing war in West Asia.

Dubai rotation restriction on Indian carriers

FIA said DXB authorities ordered flight cancellations for the Northern Summer 2026 season. The measures were set to run from April 20 to May 31. FIA said the rule applied at both DXB Dubai and DWC Al Maktoum International Airport. During this period, foreign carriers were limited to one rotation per day.

The federation said flights to and from Dubai were facing major disruption. FIA attributed the problems to regional airspace restrictions linked to the war in West Asia. FIA argued that this situation increased pressure on capacity. FIA said the one-rotation rule would stay until more capacity became available.

Dubai rotation restriction and UAE carriers

FIA said UAE airlines were treated differently under the current system. It said Emirates and Flydubai had returned to India at pre-disruption levels. FIA added that these carriers were not facing similar limits. The federation said the difference created an uneven playing field for Indian airlines serving Dubai.

FIA said the ongoing cap was leading to anti-competitive market conditions. It also cited operational inefficiencies and substantial revenue losses. FIA said passengers were facing inconvenience and service disruption. The federation said these effects were worsening as the restriction continued through the scheduled period.

Dubai rotation restriction and India government response

"... FIA respectfully requests the Civil Aviation Ministry to urgently examine the matter and approach Dubai authorities for immediate removal of this restriction for Indian carriers so that they can reinstate operations to Dubai to pre-war levels, it said.\"

\"The FIA also said in the absence of such relief, we further request the ministry to consider the implementation of appropriate reciprocal measures to ensure parity and fairness -- restricting operations of Dubai carriers to the level of cumulative seat capacity deployed by Indian carriers on services to/from Dubai.\"

FIA said it expected action through official engagement with Dubai authorities. The federation said removing the restriction would allow Indian airlines to restore earlier schedules. It also said a reciprocal approach could be considered if relief did not come. FIA maintained that the aim was parity on India–Dubai routes.

With inputs from PTI