India's New Airline Rule Set to Impact UAE Travelers Significantly

Starting on April 1, 2025, all airlines that fly international routes to and from India will need to share detailed information about their passengers with the country's customs authorities. The Indian Customs Department, through the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), has made it clear that airlines must comply with this new rule. If they fail to follow these regulations, airlines could face fines ranging from INR 25,000 (Dh1,070) to INR 50,000 (Dh2,140.9) for every instance of non-compliance.

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The new rule is part of the 'Passenger Name Record Information Regulations, 2022,' which was announced on August 8, 2022. Airlines must register with the National Customs Targeting Centre-Passenger (NCTC-Pax) by January 10, 2025. The rules apply to all passengers on international flights traveling to and from India, including those from the UAE. This also includes passengers who are only in transit or transferring through India.

Under this new system, airlines will have to provide a lot of information about their passengers. This will include details like the passenger’s name, contact details such as email and mobile numbers, billing and payment information like credit card numbers, the date when the ticket was issued, and the travel plans for the passenger. Airlines will also need to provide the names of any other people traveling with the same booking, their itinerary, baggage details, and even information about any codeshare flights. Airlines will need to submit this information to the authorities 24 hours before the flight departs.

The reason for this new rule is to improve security at the borders and help authorities better analyze risks. The NCTC-Pax, which is in charge of gathering and managing this information, is building a system to make sure everything runs smoothly. The CBIC also mentioned that a pilot phase for this new system will begin with a few airlines that have agreed to participate. This test phase is set to begin on February 10, 2025, and by April 1, 2025, it will be fully operational for individual airlines. Airlines that use global distribution systems (GDS) will need to follow the new rules by June 1, 2025.

In addition to collecting the required information, the new regulations also emphasize the importance of protecting passengers' privacy. Airlines must ensure that personal details such as names, contact numbers, and travel information are securely handled. Sensitive data like race, religion, political views, or health-related information cannot be shared. The NCTC-Pax will oversee the secure handling of this data, making sure only authorized personnel can access it. The information will be stored for up to five years and can only be anonymized after this period unless it is needed for investigations, legal matters, or security purposes.
This new rule aims to make international travel more secure and ensure that passenger information is used responsibly, all while keeping personal details safe.

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