Selling an aircraft in India: a practical guide for owners

Selling a business jet, turboprop or helicopter is not like selling a car. Buyers are few, careful and advised by engineers and lawyers. They will read every logbook. The owners who sell well are the ones who prepare as if the buyer’s inspector is already in the hangar.

Start with the records

An aircraft’s value sits as much in its paperwork as in its metal. Before you talk price, gather everything in one place:

• Certificate of registration and the current airworthiness status.
• Airframe, engine and propeller or rotor logbooks, complete and continuous.
• Records of compliance with airworthiness directives and service bulletins.
• Details of any damage history and how it was repaired, with the approving organisation.
• Engine and component times since new and since overhaul, and when the next big inspection is due.
• Any registered interests, leases or loans against the aircraft.

Gaps in the records are the most common reason buyers walk away or push the price down. If something is missing, find out why before a buyer does.

Know when the next big inspection falls

Buyers price in the cost of upcoming heavy checks and engine overhauls. An aircraft just out of a major inspection is worth more than the same aircraft due for one next month. Ask your maintenance organisation for a written summary of what is due in the next 12 to 24 months. If you need one, our directory lists every DGCA-approved CAR 145 maintenance organisation.

How ownership transfers

For an Indian-registered aircraft, DGCA’s CAR Section 2, Series F, Part I sets the process. The buyer applies for a new certificate of registration on Form CA-28, and the seller gives a notarised affidavit confirming the sale and receipt of the full price. Under that CAR the aircraft should not fly until the new certificate is issued, unless DGCA permits it in writing. If the buyer is abroad and the aircraft will leave the Indian register, deregistration follows its own steps under the same CAR. Read our guide for buyers to see the process from the other side.

If the aircraft flies commercially

Many private aircraft in India earn revenue on a charter operator’s Non-Scheduled Operator Permit. If yours does, tell buyers which permit it flies under and what its charter history looks like. Some buyers want to keep it on a permit; others want it out. Our charter operator directory shows which aircraft sit on each operator’s permit, as DGCA lists them.

Setting the price

There is no public price index for used aircraft in India. Asking prices depend on type, year, hours, maintenance status, avionics, interior and where the aircraft is. Ask an independent broker or appraiser for a view, and be ready to justify your number with records. A realistic price with full records draws more serious enquiries than a high price that needs explaining.

List where buyers look

You can list your aircraft on AIR BITOLA for free. Every listing is reviewed before it goes live. Your name, email, phone, serial number and photo links are never published; buyers send an enquiry and we pass it to you. Listings appear on aircraft for sale with their own page.

A seller’s checklist

• All records scanned and indexed.
• Next 24 months of maintenance written down.
• Liens, leases and permits disclosed.
• Realistic asking price you can explain.
• Recent, honest photographs of exterior, cabin and cockpit.
• A clear answer on where buyers can inspect the aircraft.

Common questions

Sources

• DGCA CAR Section 2, Series F, Part I (copy hosted by IFSCA)
• DGCA list of CAR 145 approved organisations

General information, checked against the sources above on the date published. It is not legal, regulatory or medical advice. Rules change, so confirm with DGCA or the relevant authority before acting.