HomeCirculars › RBI/2004-05/221

RBI Delegates Bank Guarantee Powers for Foreign Airlines to AD Banks

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/221 · issued 16 Oct 2004 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now allows AD banks to issue guarantees to foreign airlines/IATA for IATA-approved travel agents without prior RBI approval, simplifying ticketing business processes.

What changed

Previously, Indian agents of foreign airlines needed RBI approval to arrange bank guarantees for ticketing. Now, AD banks can issue these guarantees in their ordinary course of business. If a guarantee is invoked, the bank must report the details to RBI's Central Office.

What it means for you

This delegation reduces regulatory burden on travel agents and speeds up guarantee issuance, a standard industry requirement. Banks gain operational flexibility but must monitor invocation risks and report any such events promptly to RBI.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

Authorised Dealer (AD) banks, IATA-approved travel agents, Indian agents of foreign airline companies

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Do we still need RBI approval for each bank guarantee to foreign airlines?

No, AD banks can now issue these guarantees in their ordinary course of business without prior RBI approval, provided the beneficiary is a foreign airline or IATA and the applicant is an IATA-approved travel agent.

What should we do if a guarantee we issued is invoked?

You must send a detailed report explaining the circumstances to the Chief General Manager, Foreign Exchange Department, External Payments Division, RBI, Central Office, Mumbai.

Does this circular amend the FEMA Guarantees Regulations?

Yes, the circular states that necessary amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2000 are being issued separately to reflect this delegation.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2004-05/221 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 17 October 16, 2004 To All Banks Authorised to Deal in Foreign Exchange Madam / Sirs, Issue of Bank Guarantee in Favour of Foreign Airlines/IATA Attention of Authorised Dealer (AD) banks is invited to Regulation 4 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2000 notified vide Notification No.FEMA.8/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000, in terms of which, AD banks are allowed to give guarantees in certain cases as stated therein. 2. Presently, Indian agents of foreign airline companies who are members of International Air Transport Association (IATA), are required to take prior approval of the Reserve Bank for arranging to issue bank guarantees in favour of the foreign airline companies/IATA, in connection with their ticketing business. As this is a standard requirement in this business, it has since been decided to delegate the powers to the AD banks to issue such guarantees. 3. Accordingly, AD banks, may, in their ordinary course of business, issue guarantees in favour of foreign airline companies or IATA on behalf of IATA approved travel agents. In case of invocation of the guarantee, the authorised dealer bank should send a detailed report to the Chief General Manager, Foreign Exchange Department, External Payments Division, Reserve Bank of India, Central Office, Mumbai – 400 001, explaining the circumstances leading to the invocation of the guarantee. 4. Necessary amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management (Guarantees) Regulations, 2000 are being issued separately. 5. Authorised Dealer Banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents and customers. 6. The direction contained in this circular has been issued under Sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of 1999) and is without prejudice to permissions/approvals, if any, required under any other law. Yours faithfully, Grace Koshie Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2004-05/221 · issued 16 Oct 2004. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=1976&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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