On Thursday, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Gen. VK Singh (Retd) informed that during the period 2014-15 to 2019-20, India has witnessed double-digit Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.5% in terms of domestic passenger traffic.
Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, during 2020-21 and 2021-22, there was a dip in domestic air traffic. However, during the current financial year (2022-23), domestic air traffic has again picked up the pace. It is expected to reach around 97% of the pre-covid level, informed the minister.
By providing a stable policy environment and incentivising competition-led growth, the Government of India (GOI) is proactively supporting the aviation sector, Singh said.
Informing the lower house of the Parliament the minister added that in 2016, the GOI released the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP 2016). It laid out the vision, mission, and key objectives for the aviation sector. On 1st September 2021, the government announced new Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) guidelines. The aim is to create a congenial atmosphere in the country for the development of the MRO industry for not only aircraft and helicopters but also drones and their engines and other parts.
The Modi government has also approved the ‘Revival of unserved and under-served airports’ scheme for the revival and development of 100 unserved and under-served airports, helipads, and water aerodromes by 2024.
“As on 27the January 2023, after four rounds of bidding under UDAN, 459 routes have commenced, operationalizing 72 airports including two water aerodromes and nine heliports,” Singh said.
Under the scheme, Solapur, Ozar (Nasik), Amravati, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, airports in the Maharashtra state have been identified for revival/development. However, the development/upgradation of airports at Solapur and Kolhapur depends upon the fulfillment of land availability, regulatory compliances, removal of obstacles, etc. The state government is developing the Amravati airport.
