India poised to be among top 5 aviation nations in next 10 years: Pratibha Patil

India is exploring opportunities to improve connectivity with Africa and plans to pump in $5 billion, according to aviation Ministry officials.

The Indian Government is also looking at enhancing the number of Indian carriers to Oman, Saudi Arabia and countries in the Gulf region through bilateral negotiations.

India is involved in negotiations with 65 countries for bilateral air traffic rights during the fourth International Civil Aviation Negotiation (ICAN) conference that began in Mumbai on Monday.

ICAN meet

Speaking on the occasion, the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Vayalar Ravi, said that the country will have total traffic of 30 crore passengers by 2020. However, there is a shortage of skilled aviation professionals. To address the issue, the Government is planning to set up an aviation university with world-class facilities, the Minister said.

“To ensure that minimum standards of aviation skills are attained, a national aviation university is proposed to be set up with world-class facilities. We have set up a committee and are preparing a project report for this facility,” Mr Ravi said.

He said the Government is also planning to set up an independent civil aviation authority for regulation of civil aviation safety. Besides, an accident investigation committee is being set up on the lines of the National Transport Safety Board to address safety matters.

The conference that was being held in India for the first time was inaugurated by the President, Ms Pratibha Patil.

“Recent estimates suggest that domestic air traffic will touch 160-180 million passengers a year, in the next 10 years and the international traffic will exceed 80 million passengers a year. India is poised to be among the top five aviation nations in the world in the next 10 years. Currently, India is the 9th largest civil aviation market.” Ms Patil said at the ICAN conference.

“Flying is no longer the prerogative of a few privileged, but an option for an increasingly broader section of society” observed Ms Patil.

She said deregulation of the domestic sector and liberalisation of bilateral traffic rights in the past decade has brought choices of carriers, choices of timings and fares.

Rise in Air traffic

There is a sea change from 500 departures a week in the country in 1994 before deregulation, to nearly 15,000 departures daily - a 30 times jump. Today 87 foreign airlines fly to and from India and five Indian carriers fly to and from 40 countries.

In the last decade, domestic air traffic has quadrupled from 13 million to 52 million and international traffic more than tripled to 38 million. A similar trend is observed in the cargo sector, she added.

The rapidly expanding aviation sector handles 2.5 billion passengers across the world in a year; moves 45 million tonnes of cargo through 920 airlines, using 4,200 airports and deploying 27,000 aircraft.

She highlighted the importance of an economic regulator to create a level playing field, to promote competition, protect consumer interests and ensure better service levels.

“One of the key achievements of India in the last decade has been to set-up an independent regulator for economic regulation of airports by an Act of Parliament, with appropriate provision of an appellate body” said President Patil.

Airport development

Outlining the importance accorded to the civil aviation sector, the President said that between 2005 and 2010, $10 billion have been invested in airport development in the country.

She stressed the role played by the private sector and said the public-private partnership (PPP) model is the chosen model for new developments.

“In next five years, we plan to expand the airport network and provide connectivity to tier II and III cities. In Metros, where the existing airport cannot accommodate future growth, a second airport is being planned in the same city.

New Mumbai is a case in example. As a policy, we will continue to build and replicate the PPP model with other airports.” said Ms Patil.

Commemoration of 100 years

On this occasion, Ms Patil also released coins to commemorate 100 years of Civil Aviation in India, in the presence of the Maharashtra Governor, Mr K Sankarararayanan, the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Vayalar Ravi, and the President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Mr Roberto Kobeh Gonzales.

The conference, organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the aegis of the Montreal-based UN body – International Civil Aviation Organisation, provides a platform for aviation negotiators from different countries to conduct bilateral air services negotiations.

More than 300 delegates from over 65 countries are attending the Mumbai conference. India is likely to conduct 35 bilateral negotiations during ICAN 2011.

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