New Policy for Progress in Indian Aviation

It has been a welcome sign on the part of the Government of India to have mooted a novel national aviation policy. According to the draft of the proposed plan that has ample scope for public reaction, this will further open up the skies for air transportation in the country.

Some of the key features of this draft policy are enhancing the foreign direct investment (FDI) from the present 49 percent to 50 percent and thereby add new capacity to the aviation sector with thrust on regional connectivity through incentives for infrastructure development including improved maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.

As such the scenario will offer new challenges to agencies engaged in rendering air ground handling services in India. One such company with its headquarters in New Delhi, a branch in Mumbai and liaison offices elsewhere in the country is fully geared up to rise to the occasion, thanks to its reckonable  experience in operating both domestic and transnational chartered services. In its global operations, the company has tie-ups with Volga Dnepr Airlines, Antonov Airlines, AviaconZitotrans, Transaviaexport, Kosmos Airlines and Motor Sich Airlines.

For its record performance in the segment of dangerous cargo shipping services in India, this company is the most favoured among the empanelled agencies to ferry defence cargo and other logistics of the Air Force, Navy and Army by civil carriers. Even other paramilitary outfits like the Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Shastra Sema Bal, Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force and Central Industrial Security Force are serviced by this company.

To name a few of its achievements are the transshipment of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) satellites from Bangalore to Cayenne in French Guiana, Brahmos Missile from the laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to the testing and launch sites and armaments for the UN Peace Keeping Missions in African nations and elsewhere.

In the context of the proposed new policy that envisages reviving more than 300 airports across the country, the above cited company is capable of extending its services ranging from ticketing to assorted flight operations. Thus it will play a key role in fulfilling the government’s intended target of domestic ticketing to30 crore by 2022 and further touch the mark of 50 crore by 2027.

As for the rating of 5/20 (five years operational experience and fleet of minimum 20 aircraft) for an airliner to commence international flights, one has to wait and watch how the new policy will frame this rule. To encourage healthy competition among the stakeholders, the draft policy has spelt out plans to create new capacity through ‘open skies’ for airliners operating beyond a radius of 5,000 km in route length and also auctioning of flying rights within that radius. Earning from these slated to be spent on improving infrastructure vis-à-vis terminal facilities for passengers and installation of state-of-the-art navigational aids at majority of the smaller airports.

Reportedly, the aviation industry has welcomed this draft policy since proposals are afoot to liberalise the ground handling rules which presently are deemed to be too rigid and entangled in red tapism, particularly at the airports under the control of AAI (Airports Authority of India).