Aviation Ministry

The problem with Indian skies: New airlines won't fix competition easily

The aviation ministry has cleared three new regional airlines in a bid to spur competition. This won't be easy

150-km radius rule loses relevance once airport capacity saturates: Naidu

As per existing rules, no greenfield airport is permitted within an aerial distance of 150 km of an existing civilian airport

Aviation ministry reviews probe panel report on IndiGo crisis: Minister

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said the ministry is currently analysing the report submitted by the panel that probed the massive flight disruptions involving IndiGo earlier this month. While speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of an event here, he said, "The report has been submitted to the ministry. We are analysing the report, taking further comments from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and we will follow up on the action on that". According to officials, the inquiry committee, headed by DGCA Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, was constituted on December 5 to conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to the massive flight disruptions. The committee had submitted its report on Friday evening. Earlier this month, IndiGo cancelled more than 1,600 flights in a single day, followed by several days of bulk cancellations. The inadequate planning in implementing the revised pilot rest norms was cited a

Govt revived many pre-independence airstrips into airports: Rammohan Naidu

The central government has revived and turned many pre-independence airstrips into operational airports which are being used by the airlines under the Udan scheme, Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu also said that the scheme, which aims to democratise aviation by making flying accessible and affordable for all, has already been extended by 10 more years. "There were 74 operational airports in 2014 which has now been increased to over 160. The government has revived and turned many pre-independence airstrips into operational airports in which airlines are flying planes under the Udan scheme," he said during Question Hour. Replying to a supplementary question, the minister said for construction of a greenfield airport, land has to be provided by the state government. If Tamil Nadu government sends a proposal for a greenfield airport in the state, the Civil Aviation Ministry can carry out a feasibility study, he told DMK member T R Baal

Naidu instructs DGCA, AAI on winter readiness amid peak travel rush

The meeting was attended by officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India, Central Industrial Security Force, airport operators, and airlines

Govt to soon come out with sustainable aviation fuel policy: Rammohan Naidu

The government will very soon come out with a policy on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which can help reduce crude oil imports, increase farmers' income and create more green jobs, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Thursday. Addressing a summit in the national capital, the minister stressed that adoption of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) demands more innovation, investment and a collective international collaboration. India aims to have 1 per cent blending of SAF in jet fuel by 2027, 2 per cent blending by 2028 and 5 per cent blending by 2030. SAF can be used as a drop-in fuel in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), which powers aircraft. The minister said that private players should also be part of SAF production besides the oil companies. Globally, the requirement for SAF is estimated at 183 million tonnes by 2040. "From feedstock to fuel, from farmers to flyers, and from frying to flying, who would have actually imagined that (those) frying samosas also can participat

No manipulation or dirty biz in Air India plane crash probe: Aviation min

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday said there is "no manipulation or dirty business" happening in the investigation into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people on June 12. His assertion comes against the backdrop of concerns expressed in certain quarters about the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probe into the fatal crash. Naidu said everyone has to wait for the final AAIB probe report to know what exactly happened. "There is no manipulation, or there is no dirty business, happening in the investigation. It is a very clean and very thorough process that we are doing according to the rules...," the minister said. He was speaking on the sidelines of a book launch function in the national capital.

GST exemption for flight simulators to help reduce training costs: Govt

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday said the GST exemption for flight simulators and motion simulators will help airlines and academies in reducing their expenses on training equipment. Also, a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 per cent for all drones provides significant policy certainty and eliminates classification disputes, the ministry said in a release. On September 4, the GST Council decided to rationalise the tax rates into two slabs -- 5 per cent and 18 per cent -- and also reduce the rates on various items. The revised rates will come into force from September 22. Currently, the GST rate is 18 per cent for drones with integrated cameras and 28 per cent for drones classified for personal use. Under the new structure, the ministry said a uniform GST of 5 per cent has been introduced for all drones, regardless of whether the camera is integrated or separate and irrespective of whether they are used for commercial or personal purposes. "Greater clarity for ...

Too early to conclude Air India crash cause: Aviation min on probe report

Union Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday said that it is immature to jump to conclusions at the juncture over the recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has only released the preliminary report. On June 12, a London-bound Air India flight, AI 171, crashed immediately after take off in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. "So, let's not jump to any conclusions at this stage. Let us wait for the final report. These are technical things and that is why we have these investigation agencies. Once they are clear..., they are going to submit the final report. At this stage it will be very immature for me to comment on it," said Naidu. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in the port city, the aviation minister heaped praise on the AAIB, Indian pilots and cabin crews, calling them the 'best' in the world. He also underscored that 'justice' has to be done to the family members of one of India's worst

U'khand CM briefs PM Modi, Amit Shah, aviation minister on chopper crash

The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority has been directed to hold a review with all operators and pilots before any resumption of services, to ensure full alignment with safety protocols

More trains, cheaper flights: Govt rushes to evacuate tourists from valley

Despite the chaos, regular services continue to run on schedule. Officials confirmed that additional stranded passengers are being accommodated on outgoing trains from Srinagar

More flights, capped fares, food provided at Srinagar airport: Aviation min

Pahalgam terror attack: Aviation Ministry assures tourists of hassle-free flight changes and cancellations. Food and water provided at Srinagar airport

Aviation minister Naidu bats for more women pilots into helicopter industry

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday said more women pilots should come into the helicopter industry as helicopters are critical in connecting unserved areas where building an airport or operating an aircraft is difficult. Highlighting that 15 per cent of pilots in India are women compared to the global average of 5 per cent, the minister said efforts are continuing to empower women in the aviation sector. "I would encourage more people, especially women, to become not only commercial aviation pilots but also helicopter pilots... More women pilots should come into the helicopter industry," he said at an event in the national capital. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and the civil aviation ministry is taking various initiatives to boost the helicopter industry also. Naidu said the helicopter industry has a critical role in expanding air connectivity network to unserved areas where building an airport or taking a commercial plane is ver

Scindia optimistic on non-terrestrial networks to connect unconnected India

Union Telecom Minister Jyotriaditya Scindia on Monday said he is looking at the evolution of satellite communication networks or non-terrestrial networks with great optimism and believes it will open up new frontiers in communication technologies besides connecting the unconnected. While speaking at the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators Council hosted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), Scindia said the non-terrestrial networks will ignite the advent of new applications and advance the resolve of the government towards United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. "The advent of non-terrestrial networks, in addition to the GEO satellites, the medium earth orbit, and the low earth orbit satellites, has now given a new inflection point to telecommunication technology. I believe that presents a huge opportunity to be able to connect the hitherto unconnected population across the length and breadth of our country," Scindia said. The government has decided to ...

CPI's K Narayana urges civil aviation minister to control rising airfares

"Our concern is about the fluctuation of airfares. In the last year alone, airfares have increased by 40 percent. Airlines should not hike the charges exorbitantly and arbitrarily

Centre taking steps to ban hoax bomb perpetrators from flying: Minister

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Sunday said the Centre is mulling to take steps to ban perpetrators who resort to hoax bomb threats from flying. Speaking to mediapersons here after formally inaugurating two flights Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada, the minister also said besides taking support from international agencies, law enforcement wings and the Intelligence Bureau to prevent these fake threats, the union government is also mulling to amend two Civil Aviation Laws. "We are also taking the support of international agencies, law enforcement agencies, the Intelligence Bureau to prevent these. We are planning to bring changes to two civil aviation laws. Those who resort to these kinds of activities will be punished severely and imposed a penalty. We are also taking steps to ban such persons from flying. We will announce them in the coming days," he said. As of Saturday, in 13 days, more than 300 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats. Mos

India banned drone imports to encourage local startups: Ram Mohan Naidu

Union Minister of Civil Aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said India has totally banned the import of drones to encourage local talent to manufacture them. Addressing the two-day national drone summit at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, the Civil Aviation Minister noted that the government banned drone imports as it does not want some other country or company to benefit at the cost of India. We have banned the total import of drones, why did we do it? We want to encourage more startups to come in this drone sector. We want the people of this country to manufacture drones. We don't want to import drones and let the benefit go to some other country or some other company, said Naidu. According to the union minister, the government wants the young and bright minds of the country to develop new types of drones to cater to solutions which are indigenous to the country, so, with that mindset we banned imports'. The aviation minister highlighted that the Centre has liberalised rules for th

Govt may introduce new law to crack down on hoax callers disrupting flights

This move comes in response to a recent dramatic surge in hoax calls, with over 20 incidents in the last four days leading to flight diversions and delays

India and France strengthen aerospace ties, signs MoU for bilateral coop

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu led India's delegation in meet with French aerospace representatives at New Delhi today

Shankh Air gets approval to soar, set to be Uttar Pradesh's first airline

Shankh Air, Uttar Pradesh's first scheduled airline, will hub at Lucknow and Noida, connecting major Indian cities with high-demand interstate and intrastate routes