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No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet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
Update internal policies to allow issuance of guarantees to foreign airlines/IATA for IATA-approved travel agents without prior RBI approval.
Ensure a process is in place to send a detailed report to RBI's Chief General Manager, Foreign Exchange Department, if a guarantee is invoked.
Communicate this circular to all relevant branches and customers dealing with airline ticketing.
Verify that all guarantees are issued only to IATA-approved travel agents as specified.
Who it affects
Authorised Dealer (AD) banks, IATA-approved travel agents, Indian agents of foreign airline companies
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 21:52 IST
Status change: withdrawn05 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST
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.
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). 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.
Help us keep this accurate
Found an inaccuracy or have an improvement? Tell us. Every report is reviewed by our team before any change is made — nothing goes live unverified.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗
BANKPULSE · FREE DAILY BRIEF
Get RBI updates for your role
Every important RBI update, decoded in plain English — for your career, exams & financial awareness.
We collect only your email, name and role, used solely to send your brief — never sold or shared. Withdraw anytime via the unsubscribe link in any email. Independent platform, not affiliated with the RBI. Information, not legal advice.
REPORT AN ERROR · BETA
Spotted an error? Earn 500 BankPulse Credits
Help us stay accurate. If your correction is verified true and approved by our founder, you earn 500 BankPulse Credits — redeemable when the platform monetises.
Reviewed by a human before any credit is awarded. We never change the site from crowd input without verification.
WANT A NEW FEATURE · BETA
What would make BankPulse more useful for you?
Tell us what to build next — a tool, a data view, a role page, anything. We read every suggestion.
Thank you — your ideas directly shape what we build.