The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026. India holds the BRICS chairship this year under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” and the summit will bring together Head of States and senior government delegations from all ten BRICS member nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia, alongside partner country representatives and accompanying business delegations.
For business aviation operators, flight departments, and charter operators planning movements into New Delhi around this period, the BRICS Summit creates a concentrated demand on the same airport infrastructure at the same time. Planning well in advance is not a recommendation. For an event of this scale, it is an operational necessity.
What to Expect at Delhi Airport During the BRICS Summit
Major international summits in New Delhi consistently produce the same set of aviation conditions: compressed slot availability, reduced general aviation parking, heightened security protocols, and in some cases temporary airspace restrictions in and around the capital. India has hosted events of this scale before, including the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, during which the airport saw significant slot coordination requirements and some domestic flight adjustments to accommodate the volume of diplomatic and VIP movements.
The BRICS Summit in September 2026 will generate a similar operational environment. Heads of State from eleven member countries, plus partner country delegations, business forums, and accompanying media, all arrive within a compressed window, creating peak demand on parking stands, fuel, ground handling teams, and ramp coordination resources simultaneously.
Operators who begin planning now, rather than in the weeks before the summit, will have a substantially better operational outcome than those who leave permit applications, slot requests, and parking confirmations until the event is close.
Landing Permit and Overflight Permit Lead Times
All non-scheduled foreign-registered aircraft operating into India require landing permits from the DGCA, regardless of the purpose of the flight. For standard operations, a landing permit takes 3 working days. For flights originating from China, or any other country on India’s restricted-origin list, including North Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Nigeria, the timeline extends to 7 working days.
Given that several BRICS member countries fall within the restricted-origin list, operators planning flights into New Delhi for the summit from these countries should account for the 7-working-day timeline and apply accordingly, with additional buffer time built in for any correction or revision that may be needed.
For aircraft that are transiting Indian airspace without landing, an overflight permit is required. Standard overflight permits are processed in 1 working day, extending to 3 working days for restricted-origin countries.
During a major international summit, the DGCA and related authorities manage an exceptionally high volume of permit applications simultaneously. Applying early is not only advisable for individual operational reasons. It is the responsible approach given the collective demand on the permit processing system during this period.
Slot and Parking Coordination at Delhi
Indira Gandhi International Airport (VIDP) is a slot-coordinated airport. General aviation slots at Delhi are managed separately from commercial airline slots, and availability is determined by residual capacity after commercial operations are accounted for. During the summit period, commercial traffic adjustments, VIP movement sequencing, and security-related operational restrictions will further reduce the available general aviation slot window.
Parking at Delhi is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Operators planning extended stays around the summit should confirm parking availability with their ground handler well in advance and should be prepared for the possibility that the stand confirmation timeline may be longer than during a standard operation.
For delegations requiring tarmac access, VIP lounge coordination, or ceremonial reception facilities, these need to be arranged through the ground handler as part of the pre-arrival coordination process, not as a day-of-arrival request.
AOR Numbers for Defense Airports
If any part of a diplomatic mission’s ground arrangements involves a defense or jointly operated airfield in connection with the summit, the Air Operations Routine (AOR) number process applies, with a standard lead time of 3 to 4 weeks. Operators should confirm whether any leg of their planned operation touches a defense facility and apply for AOR authorization accordingly.
Security Coordination for VVIP and Diplomatic Movements
Head of State and diplomatic flights operating into New Delhi during the summit follow a clearance path that runs through the Ministry of External Affairs alongside standard civil aviation approval. Security coordination for these movements involves the relevant embassy, the Indian protocol authority, and the ground-handling team working in sequence. This process cannot be compressed into a last-minute application, and delegations who have not initiated their coordination process in advance of the summit will face significant operational difficulty.
For embassies and protocol offices managing movement logistics, the consistent recommendation is to begin coordination at least one month ahead of the planned arrival, and for defense-adjacent movements, considerably earlier.
Additional BRICS-Related Meetings Across India
The leaders’ summit on September 12 and 13 in New Delhi is the headline event, but India’s BRICS chairship has generated a calendar of related ministerial, working group, and sector meetings across multiple cities throughout 2026. The BRICS Energy Ministers’ Meeting was held in Gurugram on 25 and 26 June 2026. BRICS Foreign Ministers met in Delhi on 14 and 15 May 2026. Operators managing delegations attending any of these events face the same permit, slot, and ground handling requirements, scaled to the specific airport involved.
How VVIP Flight Supports Operations Into BRICS Summit India 2026
At VVIP Flight, we provide complete ground handling and trip support for diplomatic missions, Head of State movements, and business aviation operations across India. For the BRICS Summit period, our team manages the full permit application process, slot coordination, parking confirmation, VIP lounge access, and ramp handling at Delhi as an integrated service, with a single point of contact managing every element of the ground operation.
Operators planning to fly into New Delhi for the BRICS Summit should initiate coordination now. For assistance with any aspect of your operation, please contact our team at ops@vvipflight.com or +91-8010686868
Disclaimer: Kindly note that the information provided in the above article is subject to change without prior notice. We recommend contacting our operations team for the latest regulations, updates, and accurate information before planning your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- When and where is the BRICS Summit 2026?
The 18th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi, India, on September 12 and 13, 2026, under India’s BRICS chairship and the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
- Which countries are BRICS members in 2026?
BRICS currently has ten full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia.
- How long does a landing permit take for flights into India during a major summit?
Standard landing permits take 3 working days. For flights originating from restricted countries, the timeline extends to 7 working days. Applying well ahead of the event is strongly recommended given the volume of concurrent applications during a summit period.
- Do diplomatic flights into New Delhi for the BRICS Summit need special coordination?
Yes. Head of State and diplomatic flights require clearance through the Ministry of External Affairs alongside standard civil aviation permits, and this process should be initiated as early as possible before the planned arrival.
