Aircraft supply crunch major bottleneck in India's aviation sector growth: Minister Rammohan Naidu

Bhavnagar: India's aviation sector is facing a bottleneck in new aircraft procurement, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has said, citing that while 1,700 new planes are on order, supply chain disruptions could stretch deliveries up to 15 years.

The government is emphasising domestic manufacturing of aircraft through joint ventures with global giants like Embraer, and a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is already underway to produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100, Naidu said on Sunday.

He flagged off new flights at Bhavnagar airport in Gujarat.

The minister remarked that building airports is not difficult once land is made available, but getting aircraft has become a major bottleneck after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aircraft manufacturing has slowed down worldwide, affecting the speed at which planes are being delivered, he noted.

"After COVID-19, there were many difficulties in aircraft manufacturing. There was some disruption in the supply chain. So the speed and scale at which aircraft were supposed to be built have decreased," the minister said.

As many as 1,700 orders for aircraft are pending, and it will take up to 15 years for them to arrive, he pointed out.

Naidu said Indian airline operators have placed large orders to meet rising demand, and around 30,000 pilots will be needed in the coming years to operate these aircraft.

"When these aircraft start arriving, it will become easier for the airlines to fulfil the new aspirations and demands for connectivity," he highlighted.

To deal with the shortage, the government is working on speeding up aircraft imports and boosting domestic manufacturing under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' initiatives, he informed.

The government has been encouraging global companies to manufacture planes in India through joint ventures, the minister said.

"We have tied up with Embraer to make aircraft in India. A joint venture has also been done with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in the country," he said, adding that such steps will help solve the problem of aircraft availability in the future.

The minister flagged off a new flight connecting Bhavnagar with Navi Mumbai by IndiGo.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expanding the aviation sector and making air travel accessible to citizens.

Since 2014, the number of airports, aircraft and passengers in India has doubled, he said, pointing out that the country's 165th airport was recently inaugurated in Jewar, Noida.

Naidu further said that the government plans to develop 50 airports in the next five years and aims to have more than 350 airports in India by 2047.

Speaking about the Bhavnagar airport, the minister said expansion is needed to allow bigger aircraft to land. The current 1,900-metre runway needs to be extended to 2,400 metres, and 200 acres of land will be required.

"If the state government provides the land, the Centre will carry out the expansion," he said.

Naidu also inaugurated Udan Yatri Cafe at the Rajkot airport and virtually unveiled facilities at 57 other airports.

He said that the Rajkot airport will soon get an air cargo terminal and international flight connectivity.

The minister also said the inquiry report of last year's plane crash in Ahmedabad will be released soon.

Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex in Ahmedabad shortly after it took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 and burst into flames, killing 241 out of 242 persons onboard and 19 individuals on the ground.