Ranchi | Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday said the country must be prepared to tackle any possible fallout of the escalating crisis in West Asia, although the situation was "not worrisome for India at present".
During his maiden visit to Ranchi, Naidu said every sector, including civil aviation, must plan proactively to minimise the impact of the cirsis on people and the country.
"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.
On concerns over rising travel costs amid global uncertainty, Naidu said the Centre had already initiated measures to shield domestic passengers from any burden.
He said the government reduced aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices along with landing and parking charges at airports to stabilise fares and support the aviation sector.
Last week, the Delhi government reduced the value-added tax on aviation turbine fuel 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.
Unveiling a series of passenger-friendly initiatives at Ranchi airport, he said the Civil Aviation Ministry's modified regional connectivity scheme, UDAN 2, will be launched soon with an outlay of around Rs 29,000 crore.
As part of the modified scheme, India will have 100 new airports and 200 helipads in 10 years, the Union minister said, adding that to cater to air travellers, Udan Yatri Cafes will be launched in all airports to provide affordable eatables to everyone.
He asserted that the government was committed to making air travel more accessible and comfortable.
The Union Cabinet on March 25 approved the launch and implementation of the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Modified UDAN for a period of 10 years with the budgetary support of the Government of India.
About the ongoing investigation into last year's aircraft crash in Ahmedabad, Naidu said the probe was in its final stages and was being conducted in a "fair, transparent and accountable manner".
Emphasising the international nature of the investigation since passengers on that ill-fater aircraft were from multiple countries, Naidu said the final report would be released soon and would stand up to global scrutiny.
Naidu also announced that the Centre will accord top priority to providing international connectivity to Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport in addition to enhancing domestic connectivity.
Within five years, the number of passangers from this airport has inscreased to 27 lakh per annum from 17 lakh, the minister said. He also announced that Jharkhand's Dumka, Hazaribag, Chaibasa, Daltonganj and some other districts will get air connectivity soon.
Naidu received a warm welcome on his arrival in Ranchi and rode pillion with Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on a motorcycle from the airport.