Aviation spreads wings

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia claims that Indian aviation sector will witness unprecedented growth in terms of connectivity and developing an ecosystem that will benefit all stakeholders.

Nisha Verma

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the Wings India 2022 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad recently, where he claimed that the Indian aviation sector has passed through a lot of trials and tribulations during the pandemic period, but it is emerging stronger, fitter and ready to face challenges and tap the opportunities. “The sector has shown resilience, and by next year, we will surpass the pre-COVID number of domestic passengers. The international flights are going to fully resume and number of international travellers from India will also jump rapidly,” he said.

Collaboration is key
Scindia said that the government will be a constructive collaborator with all stakeholders of the aviation sector and work with them for the development of civil aviation in the country. “We don’t believe in square tables, we believe in roundtables at our ministry to ensure the success of this sector and our country at large,” he said. “Wings India 2022 is a watershed moment, as it is being organised in the 75th year of Indian independence- Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The agenda of Gati Shakti given by the Prime Minister, a twin-pronged initiative and synergy of giving speed and the power, will drive India for years to come. Various departments of the Government of India across the umbrella have come together to power India. As India moves from 75 to 100 years, it will emerge as new power as paradigm has changed and there is lot of focus on infrastructure development. The building of infrastructure is not confined to the economic centres but being provided in all parts of the country for everyone,” he added.

Turning a new page
Scindia claimed that the civil aviation sector will play an important role in the country’s development. “This sector has economic multiple of 3.1 and employment multiple of 6.1, which means that the investment of a rupee in the civil aviation space adds `3.1 to the economy in the long run, and for every one direct employment, 6.1 indirect jobs are created. Civil aviation is one of the largest employment and output generating sectors in the world,” he explained.

Exponential growth
Commenting on the metamorphosis in the Indian civil aviation sector in the last seven years, Scindia said, “India is the fastest growing civil aviation market in the world. There has been expansion across the spectrum in the sector with the number of airports in the country going up from 74 in 2013-14 to almost 140 (including Heliports and water domes). The number is likely to go up to 220 by 2024-25. There were 400 aircrafts in the country then and the number has gone up to 710 in seven years. It is intended that more than 100 aircrafts should join every year. Regional connectivity is the focus of the government, with provision of last mile connectivity. UDAN is a mission to connect every single citizen and make flights accessible to common man. More than 409 routes have been identified under the scheme, over 1.75 lakh flights have taken place and 91 lakh passengers have benefitted.”

Nurturing an ecosystem
The civil aviation ecosystem contains other components like cargo, MROs, FTOs, ground handlers, drones, and requisite action is being taken for all these, shared Scindia. “New policy for MROs has been announced. More training centres are being added, so that Indian pilots get trained within the country. Around 15 per cent of the Indian pilots are women, which is the three times the global average. For the drones, new policy has been announced and PLI scheme has been initiated, so that the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a global leader in the sector is realised. A new helicopter policy has also been announced,” he informed.

An MoU between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) was also signed. He also visited the chalet and viewed Aerobatics display by Airforce, SARANG Team. There was also a static display area showing a range of aircrafts from wide body Airbus 350 to small aircrafts and helicopters.