What does the DGCA CAR require for aerodrome lighting in India?
The requirements sit in CAR Section 4 Series B Part I, whose paragraphs follow ICAO Annex 14. At a given airport they are applied through AIP India, its supplements and the owner’s specification.
CAR Section 4 Series B Part I, Aerodrome Design & Operations, is where DGCA sets the aerodrome lighting requirements. It is issued under India’s aviation law, now the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, which replaced the Aircraft Act, 1934.
The CAR uses the same paragraph numbers as Annex 14 in every paragraph shown on this page: visual aids in Chapter 5, obstacle marking in Chapter 6, electrical systems in paragraph 8. That makes it easy to read the CAR against the ICAO text, but a lighting requirement is still incomplete without the AIP and the project documents.
The CAR is amended in revisions, and DGCA issues drafts for comment first. Quote the revision and date with each paragraph, and check DGCA’s CAR page for the latest.
- Identify the airport and the design date. Revisions and supplements change over time.
- Find the paragraph in the CAR. Start from the Annex 14 subject: lights in 5.3, power in paragraph 8.
- Check AIP GEN 1.7. It lists where India differs from ICAO.
- Check AIP Supplements for the airport. LVP and other airport-specific procedures sit here.
- Check the tender and aerodrome manual. The owner may ask for more than the CAR.
- Record the revision and the source of each value.
The design follows the rule, the published differences and the airport’s own procedures, so a reviewer finds each value traceable.
A value may match the Annex yet miss an Indian difference, an airport supplement or an owner’s stricter requirement.
Where lighting sits in the CAR
The paragraphs below are the ones confirmed in DGCA and AAI documents. The second card lists what to read with them. For the matching Annex 14 and EASA chapters, see the comparison with EASA CS-ADR-DSN.
CAR Section 4 Series B Part I
- DefinitionsChapter 1
- Physical characteristics, including apronsChapter 3
- Reflective markings5.2.1.7
- Taxiway edge lights5.3.18.3
- Marking of mobile objects6.2.2
- Secondary power switch-over timesPara 8, Table 8-1
Read alongside the CAR
- Differences from ICAOAIP GEN 1.7
- Airport-specific proceduresAIP Supplements
- Owner’s requirementsTender and aerodrome manual
- Differences in detailEntry 22
- EASA comparisonEntry 20
How a supplement applies the CAR: Bhopal
AAI’s low visibility procedures for Bhopal show the layers working together. The supplement does not restate the CAR. It points to Table 8-1 and sets out what the airport does about it.
Read the supplement itself. The summary above lists headline items. The full text names each light, time and procedure, so check it before sizing a UPS or generator for this airport.
The CAR, the supplements and ICAO move separately
The three documents below changed within weeks of each other in late 2025. Treat the dates as a reminder to check the revision your project works to.
- DGCA DRAFTNEXT
Draft amendment to CAR Section 4 Series B Part I. Adds a definition of ground handling to Chapter 1 and, in Chapter 3, an apron sub-section asking designers to consider criteria for safe ground handling. A final text had not been confirmed when this page was checked in November 2026.
- AIP SUPP204
Low visibility procedures for Bhopal, with Category II operations down to 350 m RVR. It cites Table 8-1 of the CAR for switch-over times.
- ICAO AMDT18
The ICAO baseline the CAR follows. It harmonises lighting for Category II operations below 350 m and adds ground handling provisions, which apply from 26 Nov 2026 (obstacle limitation surface changes follow on 21 Nov 2030). Whether and how India has taken each change is for the CAR and AIP GEN 1.7 to say.
The rule, the publication and the project
An Indian lighting requirement is complete only when all three have been read for the same airport and date.
The CAR
The rule for the aerodrome. Read the paragraph, note the revision and date, and keep the Annex 14 paragraph beside it for comparison.
AIP and supplements
GEN 1.7 for differences from ICAO, and supplements for procedures at your airport, such as LVP. Check what is current on the date of your design.
Tender and manual
The tender specification and aerodrome manual can add detail or a stricter value. Where they disagree with the CAR, ask the airport operator which governs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1Where are the aerodrome lighting requirements in the DGCA CAR?
In CAR Section 4 Series B Part I, Aerodrome Design & Operations. Its paragraph numbers follow ICAO Annex 14: lights fall under visual aids in Chapter 5 (for example 5.3.18.3 for taxiway edge lights), obstacle marking is in Chapter 6, and secondary power switch-over times are in Table 8-1 of paragraph 8.
Q2Is the DGCA CAR the same as ICAO Annex 14?
In the paragraphs checked for this page, the CAR uses the same numbering and subject order as Annex 14. India publishes its differences from ICAO in AIP India, section GEN 1.7. Read the CAR paragraph and that section together, and see the next entry for the differences in detail.
Q3Where are the backup power switch-over times?
In Table 8-1 of paragraph 8 of CAR Section 4 Series B Part I. AAI's AIP Supplement 204/2025 for Bhopal cites this table and sets changeover times of under one second for key lights on a Category II runway. Read the table itself for the full list of lighting aids and times.
Q4Does an AIP Supplement change the CAR?
No. A supplement publishes information for one aerodrome, such as low visibility procedures, and cites the CAR for the requirement it applies. Use it to see how the CAR is being applied at that airport, not as a replacement for the CAR.
Q5Has India adopted ICAO Amendment 18?
DGCA issued a draft amendment to CAR Section 4 Series B Part I on 4 October 2025, with comments due by 3 November 2025. It adds a definition of ground handling and apron design criteria for safe ground handling, which are topics Amendment 18 also covers. Check DGCA's CAR page and AIP GEN 1.7 for the final text and for any difference India keeps.
Q6How should I cite the CAR?
Give the series and part, the paragraph, and the revision and date shown on the CAR, for example CAR Section 4 Series B Part I, paragraph 5.3.18.3. DGCA amends the CAR through draft and final revisions, so a paragraph number alone does not tell a reviewer which text you used.
See It. Understand It. Then Learn How to Engineer It.
Recognising an AGL system visually is the first step. The next step is knowing how to design, install, test, commission and maintain them correctly.
Build Practical AGL Engineering Skills
Go deeper with structured training from Precision AGL Academy, covering:
Learn how each light, sign and circuit works as part of a complete airport lighting system, not just as an isolated diagram.