Five locations scouted for development of no-frills airports

Civil Aviation Minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju Tuesday said the government has identified five locations for development of no-frills airports in the country.

"We have identified five locations for the development of no-frills airports in the country," Gajapathi Raju said in his interactions with the media after detailing the achievements of his ministry in the first 100 days of assuming office.

According to the minister, the five locations for development of no-frills airports includes Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, Kishangarh in Rajasthan, Jharsuguda in Odisha, Hubli and Belgaum in Karnataka.

The plan has been prepared by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), though no further details on the timeline for completion of the projects were divulged, it is expected that the new kind of airports will come up at an initial cost of Rs.50 crore with limited facilities for seating, lounges and air traffic management.

In its bid for development of infrastructure, the new government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had asked the ministry to prepare a plan for development of at least five such no-frills airports in the country by the end of the fiscal followed by overall development of 50 such kinds of airports.

Apart from airports, the ministry said it is trying to get all the states to cut down value added taxes on jet fuel which escalates the cost of airlines operations in the country by almost 50 percent in comparison to international services of the airlines.

The minister further said that a new anti-hickack policy has been developed which incorporates the recent protocols signed by the government in international forums.

"The new policy widens the definition of hijacking the punishment which follows it. The new policy also incorporates the protocols that have been signed under the Beijing convention of 2010.

On recent case of the airlines faulting major safety norms such as not reporting violation to the regulator Directorate General of Civil aviation in case of Jet Airways, the minister said that due cognisance of the matter is being taken and that DGCA will take requisite action.

The minister added that he hopes India regains the position of category -1 safety country under the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) which had downgraded it to category-2 ratings restricting Indian carriers in adding more flights to the US.

"We have already made certain changes like recruitment of more personnel and the members of the DGCA have met with FAA representatives in Washington and I hope India will be restored to its position of category-1 safety country soon."