VP stresses on safety in aviation sector

India is witnessing a high-growth trajectory and is set to become the third-largest aviation market in the world in terms of passengers by 2026, said Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.

India has also replaced Japan as the world’s fastest domestic growing air travel market, he pointed out at the Aero Expo India 2017 on 2 Nov 2017.

But the Vice President stressed on safety, saying it will have to remain the topmost priority of aviation authorities and experts.

He applauded efforts to promote regional connectivity by serving the un-served and under-served airports.

Connecting Tier-II cities, pilgrim towns and historic places with the wider air routes is important for boosting tourism and business travel, said Naidu.

Recognizing the growing importance of the aviation sector, the Government has taken a series of measures to improve infrastructure and regional air connectivity in the country.

Apart from initiating new projects, the most crucial aspects that need special attention are safety and security. There cannot be any compromise on these two counts and the most stringent norms have to be adopted for ensuring safe and secure air travel.

He called for air travel for average India and development of no frills and Greenfield airports, augmenting existing capacities, creating synergy between scheduled and non-scheduled airlines for better penetration and connectivity through collaborative efforts of the State and Central Governments.

India became the world’s fastest growing domestic travel market for the 22nd time in a row recording a 26.6 per cent year-on-year growth in January 2017, according to IATA.

India’s air cargo is estimated to grow at 9 per cent over the next few years. fii-news.com