Govt releases draft National Air Sports Policy for public feedback

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has released draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP) for public feedback.

The draft policy is available on the website of the Ministry and the suggestions for the same can be sent by 5 pm on January 31, 2022.

As per an official release issued by the ministry on Sunday, the policy seeks to leverage India's potential for air sports and places a strong focus on ensuring international best practices in safety. The vision of the policy is to make India one of the top air sports nations by 2030.

"India has the potential to be among the leading nations in the world of air sports. It has a large geographical expanse, diverse topography and fair weather conditions. It has a large population, especially the youth. It has a growing culture for adventure sports and aviation. Other than the direct revenue from air sports activities, the multiplier benefits in terms of growth of travel, tourism, infrastructure and local employment, especially in hilly areas of the country, are several times greater. Creation of air sports hubs across the country will also bring in air sports professionals and tourists from across the world," read the release.

"The Government of India, therefore, plans to promote the country's air sports sector, by way of making it safe, affordable, accessible, enjoyable and sustainable. Systems and processes need to be simplified and made more transparent; focus on quality, safety and security need to be enhanced; and investments in infrastructure, technology, training and awareness building need to be facilitated," it added.

The release further said that the draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP 2022) is a step in this direction and has been drafted on the basis of the inputs received from policymakers, air sports practitioners and the public at large. "It is an evolving document and will be modified from time to time," informed the release.