Civil Aviation Ministry to map air routes of helicopters

"We have decided to have mapping of routes of helicopters to fly especially after Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister's death," Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi said today.

Khandu's Pawan Hans chopper crashed on April 30 last at Luguthang ten minutes after take-off from Tawang helipad, killing him and four others on board.

There were ambitious programmes to improve all airports and have more airports in the country. But billons of dollars are needed and the government's policy was to develop them on Private Public Partnership, Ravi said.

There is need to increase the connectivity in North East and different areas where new airports and helicopters services are necessary were also being looked into, he said at a function at nearby Nedumbassery airport to mark the regional centennial celebrations of Civil Aviation.

Air India was passing through a 'turbulent' period, he said, adding, its accrued loss was so high that PSU oil companies had stopped supply of fuel for a day.

"We need Air India to improve. It needs planning and cost cutting for the financial health of the airlines," he said.

Air India's biggest asset was its 43,000 employees which include casual workers as well, he said.

On AI's high paid employees, he said though he did not want to criticise them, he wanted them to cooperate with government to make it more viable.

"There is a need for everyone to cooperate. I am trying my best to make the employees understand this. I have no problem with lower or middle class employees, but the highest paid employees."