Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday said India must remain prepared for any possible fallout from the escalating crisis in West Asia, while stressing that the current situation does not pose an immediate concern for the country.
The minister said that all sectors, including civil aviation, must proactively assess potential risks and prepare mitigation plans.
"The situation is not worrisome at present, but we need to remain alert. Every sector, including civil aviation, has to assess the impact and prepare short-term, medium-term and long-term strategies," he told reporters in Ranchi.
Addressing concerns over rising travel costs amid global uncertainty, the minister said the Centre had already taken measures to shield domestic passengers from fare hikes.
He said aviation turbine fuel (ATF), along with airport landing and parking charges, had been reduced to help stabilise fares and support the aviation sector. Last week, the Delhi government cut value-added tax on ATF from 25 per cent to 7 per cent.
"Nearly five lakh passengers travel daily on domestic routes. We are continuously monitoring airfares. If demand rises, we will increase connectivity and deploy more aircraft," Naidu said.
At Ranchi airport, the minister unveiled a series of passenger-centric initiatives and announced that the modified regional connectivity scheme, UDAN 2, would be launched soon with an outlay of around Rs 29,000 crore.
Under the revamped scheme, the government plans to develop 100 new airports and 200 helipads over the next decade. Naidu also said Udan Yatri Cafes would be introduced at airports to provide affordable food options for travellers.
He reiterated the Centre’s commitment to making air travel more accessible and convenient.
The Union Cabinet had on March 25 approved the implementation of the modified UDAN scheme for 10 years with budgetary support from the Centre.
On the probe into last year’s aircraft crash in Ahmedabad, Naidu said the investigation was in its final phase and was being carried out in a “fair, transparent and accountable manner”.
He noted that passengers on the ill-fated aircraft were from multiple countries and said the final report would be released soon and withstand global scrutiny.
Naidu also said the Centre would prioritise international connectivity for Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport while strengthening domestic flight services.
He noted that annual passenger traffic at the airport had increased from 17 lakh to 27 lakh over the past five years.
The minister further announced that Jharkhand districts, including Dumka, Hazaribag, Chaibasa and Daltonganj, would soon receive air connectivity.
(With inputs from PTI)
