GOVERNMENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES CIVIL AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN INDIA

The Minister of Civil Aviation, India, Shri Suresh Prabhu, has recently inaugurated a number of infrastructure projects across 7 states in India on 22.02.2019. The Government has planned to develop, upgrade and revamp the airport infrastructure in India across Trivandrum and Calicut (Kerala), Mangaluru (Karnataka), Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Rupsi (Assam), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Amritsar (Punjab) and Imphal (Manipur).

The Government has committed towards an improved aviation connectivity as it would boost tourism sector in India and trade between countries. For instance, the development of airport in Imphal would open up the entire South East Asia sector, thereby making way for increased tourism and trade with India. Thus, the Government has planned to invest Rs. 620 Crore for upgradation of infrastructure of 8 airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The Government has aimed at development of aviation infrastructure, especially, in the North-Eastern states of India. Therefore, in the recent launch of Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik, UDAN 3.1 Round of Bidding under the Regional Connectivity Scheme around February 2019, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has invited bids for airlines to cover about 28 to 30 routes across the North-Eastern region of India including the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand, Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and to establish intra island connectivity at Andaman and Lakshadweep islands.

Further, in the Aviation Conclave 2019, the Minister had stated that aircraft manufacturing, aircraft leasing and financing, cargo policy and financial services, etc are areas of high importance for aviation sector and also that drone ecosystem may offer a greenfield opportunity to the aviation sector.

Thus, the Government has made an estimate of USD 40 to 50 Billion (Approx. INR 2839 to 3549 Billion) investment for all round development and construction of around 200 airports in order to cater the huge passenger traffic in India and to scale up aviation sector in India. This may help the Government to bring about a revolution in the Indian aviation sector.

Harini Daliparthy

Senior Legal Associate

The Indian Lawyer