New civil aviation policy expected by 2015 end

The government is trying to put in place a new civil aviation policy by end of this year after consultations, union minister for civil aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, highlighted in an official press statement. In fact the minister was speaking at recent air cargo summit organized by the PHD Chamber in New Delhi and he said that public consultation inputs are invited to finalise the new civil aviation policy and all recommendations should come in before 30 November. The minister urged all stakeholders to participate and submit their suggestions before the deadline. This would enable the government to formulate a comprehensive policy that would last for a period of at least three years. The minister further stated that the deadline had been extended to accommodate suggestions from all relevant sections so that the policy is as comprehensive as possible. “As such there is not much for the cargo section in the draft new civil aviation policy that has already been thrown into public domain to attract more suggestions and inputs for it. Even the manifestos of the political parties both national and regional usually have little space for the civil aviation as such but with increased economic activities with focus on their sustenance, the cargo sector of the civil aviation should have wider space in the new policy document and since the Air Cargo Summit 2015 of the PHD Chamber has been so timely, it would encourage the government to attend to all concerns and issues arising out of cargo segment to suitably accommodate them in the new policy document,” the minister said without setting a deadline for the new policy to fall in public space.