Government Efforts & Initiatives to Boost Civil Aviation | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

The Indian Civil Aviation industry has experienced remarkable growth in passenger traffic in recent years, leading to a surge in the number of airports, aircraft, and flight routes. Niti Aayog has proposed expanding airport capacity by more than five times to accommodate one billion trips annually. However, this rapid growth has also intensified security concerns in the civil aviation sector, especially in light of terrorism threats, emphasizing the need for stringent airport security measures aligned with international standards.

Challenges Facing the Indian Aviation Sector

Financial Strain on Airline Companies:

• Many airline companies are facing depleted cash reserves and are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, potentially resulting in job losses and pay cuts.
• The high cost of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in India, coupled with vulnerability to currency fluctuations, constitutes a significant portion (around 40%) of operating expenses for Indian carriers, compared to 20% for foreign airlines.

Intense Competition and Price Sensitivity:

• Domestic carriers face fierce competition and struggle to raise ticket prices due to the need to capture market share and passenger price sensitivity.
• The regional connectivity scheme under the new civil aviation policy (NCAP) 2016 imposes ticket price caps and presents operational challenges, such as slot availability for connecting flights at major airports.

Challenges Unique to Indian Airports

Topographical Constraints:

• Tabletop airports, situated atop plateaus or hilly surfaces, pose operational risks, as seen in incidents like the Mangaluru accident in 2010.
• Infrastructure Issues in Tier-II and Tier-III Cities:
• Poor road connectivity, limited transport facilities, difficult terrains, and frequent flight cancellations hinder traffic growth in these cities.

Capacity Constraints:

• Metro airports in India have reached their capacity limits in terms of landing and parking slots, with concerns that the airport system may exceed structural capacity by early 2022.
• Predictions indicate that India's passenger traffic will surpass that of Japan and Germany combined by 2036, highlighting the urgent need for capacity expansion.

Regulatory Challenges:

• The Airports Authority of India faces a heavy burden of responsibilities, including airport operations, construction, airspace management, regional connectivity, and cargo handling, among others.

Measures Required

Structural Measures:

• Implementation of measures to prevent downward slopes in the overshoot area, especially on tabletop runways.
• Installation of a ground arresting system for aircraft, similar to those maintained at Indian Air Force airfields, such as the Engineered Materials Arrestor/Arresting System. This system, made of lightweight and crushable cellular cement/concrete, serves as a safety barrier and effectively halts aircraft overruns.
• Deployment of a visual reference system to alert pilots during landing about the remaining distance to be covered.
• Strategic placement of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, approach and area radars to enhance operational efficiency.
• Enhancing the role of the Rescue and Fire Fighting service and conducting comprehensive aerodrome risk assessments.
• Providing recommendations to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for improved aviation safety and regulatory oversight.

Non-structural Measures:

• Policy interventions like UDAN ("Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik") aimed at revitalizing regional air connectivity by reviving underserved airports.
• Ensuring sufficient airport infrastructure capacity to accommodate the growing demands of the Indian aviation market.
• Developing and regulating the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) industry to unlock its potential and meet the needs of increasingly advanced aircraft.
• Implementing a transparent Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) pricing regime to disclose costs and pricing methodologies used by oil marketing companies.
• Addressing concerns regarding the concentration of power within the DGCA to foster competition and ensure the economic viability of the aviation sector.

Conclusion

India's aviation industry presents immense growth potential and offers significant opportunities for expansion. Similar to the telecom and financial services sectors, aviation has emerged as a key driver of economic growth post-liberalization. It is crucial to safeguard the health and competitiveness of this industry, given its potential to serve as an economic multiplier and generate employment opportunities.