Aviation Grid, 500 mega & 6 regional airports proposed In Aviation Policy
The government will notify its New Civil Aviation Policy by first quarter of 2008 to facilitate creation of 500 mega and 6 regional airports and develop mechanism for aviation grid for setting up of multi-model merchant airports, besides make its 100 airports operational, whose number is 50 now.
Disclosing this at ASSOCHAM organised Conference on `Aerotropolis : Airport Cities’ on Wednesday, Minister of Civil Aviation also announced that the new policy would have provisions for making 10 aerotropolis in 10 major metros and also establish air linkages for air passengers for minimum of 50 kilometer of distances.
The Minister said that the inter-governmental group created for finalisation of new civil aviation policy has already recommended the aforesaid measures to ensure that the civil aviation sector grows by over 40% compounded growth rate. Their recommendations would be forwarded to the Committee on Infrastructure headed by the Prime Minister and after its endorsement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation will move a cabinet note, announced the minister , further pointing out that the entire exercise will take 2-3 months before the new policy is announced.
The Minister was categorical and confident that the new policy would be in place by early first quarter of 2008 so that the civil aviation sector also grows in a manner just as the telecom sector has shown a progress in the last one decade.
The minister also said that the provisions of new policy will create enough room for execution of 6 regional airports by 2008 and over 500 mega airports in next couple of years. The number of operational airports across the country which currently number 50 would be made 80 in next 1 year time and over 100 thereafter, said the Minister.
According to him, many state governments have shown keenness to expand their air strips through joint venture arrangements to make them merchant airports and the central government is responsive to their proposals.
The states that have offered their air strips for converting them into merchant airports and aerotrpolis include Karnataka, Maharasthra, Gujarat, Andhra and many more and action would be taken on that since the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been receiving the number of claimants to add to infrastructure building for civil aviation.
The Minister also said that Delhi and Mumbai would not be the only airports which people would refer to for development and expansion but the entire country particularly smaller cities would have number of airports and aerotropolis as also merchant airports so that jobs opportunities are decentralised and that is why the government is proposing to build up 500 mega airports so that the growth of civil aviation is sustained for once and all. According to the Minister, the new civil aviation policy would also have stipulations for setting up of aviation grid on lines of national grid for power transmission.
The Minister also informed that Indian civil aviation has been growing at a speed which is faster than China and that is why its civil aviation sector would become vibrant and invite players from variety of countries in Europe, America and ASEAN region.
