Annual air passenger traffic growth rates, which touched dizzy heights of 46 to 49 per cent in the last two years, has now evened out to hover around 22 to 25 per cent, according to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Joint Director RP Sahi.
Mr Sahi was at the Bangalore factory of Varman Aviation Private Limited, which today handed over an overhauled Pratt & Whitney PT6A engine to the Government of Bihar.
He said that passenger traffic, which was soaring for the last couple of years due to the country’s open sky policy and the entry of a number of private airlines, had evened out.
He said that despite the decline in growth rate, the aviation sector was still booming overall, with 14 scheduled airlines operating 300 aircrafts along 60 non-scheduled operators in the country.
“There cannot be a continuous growth, and now the growth curve has flattened out. The scheduled airlines are operating 300 aircrafts and there is an order for 300 aircrafts from them, which is a positive sign,” the joint director added.
BASA agreement
The joint director said that the DGCA was in the process of signing the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) with the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency, to help products from India’s aviation industries get direct certification.
“Through this agreement, aeronautical products manufactured in India will find acceptance in the markets of these countries. The agreement is a lengthy process and is expected to take about five years before it is approved,” he said.
The Government, he said, was encouraging the setting up of maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in the country, for which the DGCA has revised regulations. The revised regulations encourages engineer to find more employment opportunities in MRO Industries.
Varman Aviation Private Limited, which delivered the Pratt & Whitney PT6A engine to the Bihar Government, has an MRO facility in Whitefield. The company has so far overhauled 90 engines. Its further expansion plans include the setting up of an additional facility to cater to the requirements of Rolls-Royce 250 series Engines, Bell Helicopters and the Islanders of the Indian Navy by mid-2008.
National Institute of Advanced Studies Director Dr K Kasturirangan handed over the overhauled engine to AK Pandey, civil aviation secretary, Bihar.
