Window shades to remain closed during take-off & landing at defence airfields: DGCA
The DGCA said window shades will be closed to enhance operational safety and prevent unintentional sharing of security-related information.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) brought in a new directive for commercial airlines and charter planes in the wake of operational safety. The DGCA directed that window shades of all aircrafts to remain shut except during emergency especially near the western border of India.
The window shades should remain closed to enhance operational safety and prevent unintentional sharing of security-related information by the general public/crew failing which legal action might be taken.
This decision comes amid the paused Operation Sindoor launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025. As many as 32 airports in the north, central and western India including several sensitive defense airbases. Some civil enclaves at Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Gwalior and Hindon, have resumed flight operations that were paused indefinitely. The DGCA has issued fresh directives for defense airfields.
Post the opening of Indian airspace for commercial operations, to all scheduled, scheduled commuter, and non-scheduled aircraft operating from defense airfields: All passenger window shades, where applicable, (except at emergency exit windows) shall remain closed during the take-off and landing phases specifically, until the aircraft is airborne and has crossed an altitude of 10.000 feet during departure, or during arrival, it descends below 10,000 feet and reaches the parking bay at the civil terminal, it says.
