Minister of CIVIL AVIATION (SHRI A JIT SINGH)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN REPLY TO STARRED QUESTION NO. 228 DATED
13.03.2013 REGARDING DECLINE IN AIR TRAFFIC
(a): No such report from International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been received by
the Govt. However, the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines during 2012 was 58.80
million as against 60.70 million during 2011, thereby registering a decline in growth by 3.04
percent. The Government has taken several measures to provide impetus to the aviation industry
and to ensure long term viability of the sector which include:
(i) Director General of Foreign
Trade has allowed direct import of ATF by airlines on actual user basis.
(ii) FDI by foreign airlines in the domestic scheduled and non scheduled carriers has been
permitted upto 49 percent of their paid up capital,
(iii) ECB upto $ USD 1 billion has been
permitted for the airlines to meet their working capital requirement.
(b) and (c): Marginal decline in the load factor of various airlines was witnessed during the
said period (year 2012). The details are given at Annexure-I.
(d): Policy of developing airports as aviation hubs in the country is at an initial stage.
However, in order to develop aviation hubs, Government is encouraging development of airport
infrastructure by way of expansion/ upgradation of existing airports including small and medium
ones and setting up of new airports.
(e): There is no proposal at present to construct green field heliports near national highways.
To enhance regional connectivity, Government has laid down Route Dispersal Guidelines in 1994
with a view to ensure better connectivity to remote/regional regions of the country. Operations
in domestic sector have been deregulated and flights are being operated by concerned airlines
on the basis of commercial viability subject to adherence of Route Dispersal Guidelines. Further,
Government has already introduced a separate category of Scheduled Air Transport (Regional)
Services in 2007. A Scheduled Regional Airline is obliged to operate in the region for which
it has been granted permission. However, in operational exigencies, it can connect cities of
other regions also except metro cities.
The Government has concluded Air Services Agreements with 109 countries with a view to promote
international connectivity, and traffic rights from part of the Agreement in the attached Route
Schedule. Indian carriers are permitted by the government to mount their international operations
from any point in India within the respective bilateral Air Services Agreements, Further,
utilization of traffic rights is monitored through a devised format and is reviewed from time to
time.
