Aviation security council in the pipeline

Disclosing this at a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said, “The council will be on the lines of the recently set up Civil Aviation Economic Advisory Council (CAEAC) and the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council.”

The CAEAC, which will hold its first meeting on Monday, will advise the ministry about suitable policy guidelines for ensuring affordable air service to remote and underserved areas in the country, investments in the sector, regulatory frameworks, tariffs and other related issues.

Set up under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Civil Aviation, its members include CEOs of all scheduled domestic airlines, CEOs/CMDs of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL); Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) and other aviation industry stake holders.

Speaking on the recent hike in airfares of some private domestic airlines, Patel informed that the government has taken up several measures to check the practice and asked them to ensure transparency in pricing.

Explaining that the Indian aviation sector expects a huge growth“in the very immediate future which would have to be managed in a safe, secure and transparent manner,” he added that constant and strict vigil would continue on airfares of all airlines.

The members also raised issues concerning the health of national carrier Air India, its falling market share, revenue losses, crew position and the management of its no-frill subsidiary Air India Express.

On shortage of helicopter pilots, he said the new rules for conversion from airplane pilot licence to those for helicopters were in advanced stage of amendments.