THE NATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION

Policy, released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in June this year, has elevated optimism over the future prospects of growth in the Indian civil aviation industry. As elaborated on by R. Chandrakanth in this issue of SP’s AirBuz, the Indian civil aviation industry is on a high growth trajectory and from currently the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world, it is expected to be among the top five in not too distant a future. To tap this market potential, Ireland, a market leader in aircraft leasing industry, is prepared to offer fresh business opportunities to India as disclosed by Pat Breen, Minister of State for Employment and Small Business, in an exclusive interview with with Editor-in-Chief, Jayant Baranwal.

Currently, the primary focus of the new policy is on regional aviation which has been identified as that segment of the industry that has the potential to provide the impetus needed for the next phase of growth and fresh opportunities for the stakeholders in the industry. At the two-day Aero Expo Conference organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce in Delhi, the proactive approach of the government in adopting a slew of measures that are already in place or being contemplated for the future, was highlighted. The proceedings of the conference included the effective implementation of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) through expansion of capacity at existing airports, upgrading and operationalising unused airstrips, building greenfield airports and financial incentives to regional carriers, all aimed at bringing the facility of air travel to the masses. A detailed report on the event by Chandrakanth has been included in this issue.

As a part of its efforts to facilitate air travel for the masses, MoCA has also embarked on an initiative to offer the public a convenient and hassle-free air travel experience through a programme called AirSewa that will attempt to provide a systematic approach to redressing grievances of the air traveller. A report by Rohit Goel on the launch of this service has been included in this issue.

The optimism on the prospects of growth of the Indian civil aviation industry is shared by one and all associated with it. Air Costa, the largest regional carrier presently operating to eight destinations, plans to go pan-India. Zoom Air, though a full-service carrier to be launched in the near future, still has a regional focus as it is already formulating plans to tap the unserved markets across the country. In an exclusive interview with SP’s AirBuz, Koustav Dhar, the CEO and Managing Director of Zoom Air, unveils plans and explains the rationale behind the move to capture Tier-II markets.

Mark Dunnachie, Vice President, Embraer Asia-Pacific, is of the view that while the prospects for the growth of regional aviation in India is bright, in order to exploit its full potential, it would be necessary for regional carriers to select aircraft of the right size. He believes that the 70- to 130-seat regional airliners of the E-Jet family from Embraer, would be the appropriate platform for regional aviation in India. A detailed analysis of the subject by Mark Dunnachie is a part of this issue.

All these and more apart from the regular features. Welcome aboard and happy landings!