The Ministry of Civil Aviation is planning to boost air connectivity by adjusting regulations and advancing more airstrips for major and minor airports, a senior official informed on Wednesday.
The plans are underway for developing more airstrips as brownfield projects and more initiatives will be taken up for co-developing more defense airfields for civil use, said Civil Aviation Secretary, Vumlunmang Vualnam while addressing CAPA India Aviation Summit 2024 in New Delhi.
He further added that the number of airports in India has gone up from 74 to 157 over the last 10 years. The ministry has assessed all 453 airstrips across the country and found that around 157 are currently operational.
Vualnam also mentioned that the ministry’s motive is to enhance air connectivity by calibrating regulations for both minor and major airports. A supportive environment for airlines and growth will be provided by the ministry. Furthermore, it is also making sure that taxation does not delay Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organizations.
CAPA India projection for air traffic
According to CAPA India data, international traffic will surge by 9-11 percent to 75-78 million passengers whereas domestic air traffic is likely to grow by 6-8% to 161 -164 million passengers. It was also informed that Indigo and Air India have made substantial aircraft orders which include wide-body planes. In global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, Vualman asserted that the government is in support of using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to meet the goals. In terms of leasing the aircraft as per Cape Town Convention (CTC), he said the paperwork is ready for the legislation.
With increasing domestic air traffic and airlines expanding their fleets, India’s aviation market is booming globally at an exponential speed.
(With PTI inputs)