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India to revitalise aviation sector: Hussain

Union Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain has said that India is determined to revitalise its aviation sector and recapture the glory of Air-India and Indian Airlines by turning them into world-class airlines through a carefully-crafted policy.

''We have a vision for the aviation sector for the next five to 10 years,'' Hussain said in an interview with the Khaleej Times. As privatisation of state-owned airlines is delayed because of the global downturn, both airlines are planning fleet renewal as an immediate response to face the current challenges.

Efforts are also underway to upgrade the services at airports to international standards. ''We are planning to lease out our metro airports on a long-term basis to reputed private airport operators,'' he disclosed.

He said there were plans to improve the terminal facilities, runway extensions and other navigational facilities with an investment of about Rs 400 crores (Rs 4 billion) per year.

''We are also having liberal bilateral regimes to ensure adequate capacities in various routes to take care of anticipated demand arising out of increased tourism and other economic activities,'' Hussain said.

He said after a drop of 5.1 per cent in passenger traffic in India with a net capacity reduction by about 5,000 seats this year as compared to the previous year after the September 11 terror attacks in the United States, there has been a slow but steady recovery.

To improve the confidence of air travellers security in more airports would be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Forces in phases. Besides secondary gate-level frisking and sky marshals on random flights, colour X-ray baggage inspection systems were being installed in phases.

Hussain said foreign investment was needed not only for meeting the resource gaps for the upgrade to world-class standards, but also for induction of new technology and management.

Air-India is planning to take four more A-310 aircraft and one B-747-400 aircraft on dry lease. Indian Airlines would go for small aircraft to take care of the needs of the north-eastern region and other places where traffic requires operation of smaller aircraft, he said.

UNI

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