New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
today said regulatory and policy framework needs to be aligned
with the requirements of the civil aviation industry to
encourage serious investment in the sector that can absorb
upto 120 billion dollars by 2020.
Inaugurating the new Terminal 3, a world class airport
here, he said "we need to create safe, secure, efficient and
environment-friendly systems conducive to healthy growth of
the civil aviation sector."
The government was working to achieve these goals, he
said adding the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is being
strengthened. The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority has
been set up as a regulator for the airport sector for
monitoring issues like airport charges and service standards,"
he said.
Expressing happiness over completion of the terminal in a
record time of 37 months, the Prime Minister said the airport
terminal establishes new global bench marks and exemplifies
country`s resolve to bridge the infrastructure deficit.
It proved the success of the Public Private Partnership
model in execution of large infrastructure projects, he said.
"India is the ninth largest aviation market in the
world. Ten scheduled airlines are operating here compared to
two in the 90s. During the same period the number of aircraft
deployed by the airlines has increased by four times from 100
to 400," Singh said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that analysts predict
that domestic traffic in India can increase up to 160 to 180
million passengers every year and international traffic to
grow in excess of 50 million passengers by 2020.
With the worldwide ranking of Delhi airport improving
from 101 in 2007 to 21 in 2010 in terms of service quality,
Singh also hoped that the airport will shortly rank within the
first 10 airports of the world.
One of the largest terminal in the world, the new
environment-friendly airport which was constructed within 37
months can cater to over 34 million passengers every year.
Singh said that the new airport establishes a new
global benchmark and stressed that "all concerned agencies
should now focus on improving passenger connectivity between
the city and the airport to fully leverage the potential of
this terminal."
He said the terminal will use very high quality
security systems which "will be a source of great comfort to
airlines and passengers."
Emphasising on the need to rapidly improve country`s
physical infrastructure, he said, "this is one area where we
have been lagging behind but I am confident that in the time
to come we will achieve much more than in the past."
Praising the "impressive" new airport, UPA President
Sonia Gandhi said quality is not something to be reserved for
prestigious projects but should become "part and parcel of our
design process for all our public projects including housing
and other services".
"Providing rural and urban infrastructure efficiently
and at the same time achieving high standards must remain our
goal," she said.
Operations at the new integrated terminal would begin
from the middle of this month with Air India and all
international airlines shifting their operations from the
existing terminal buildings.
Officials of DIAL said all international carriers,
operating from Delhi, would shift their operations from the
existing international terminal or T2 to T3 on July 14.
On July 30-31, the operations of all full service
Indian carriers, including Air India, Jet Airways and
Kingfisher, would shift along with their low-cost wings.
The swanky T3 would also be "barrier free" to suit the
requirements of passengers with "special needs or reduced
mobility".
PTI
