Civil Aviation

India invites foreign investment to train aviation manpower

India is looking for foreign investors to train manpower for its airports which are facing acute manpower shortage both in terms of volume and quality. Private institutes can also join hands to train Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) in view of planned increase in number of airports throughout the country. Efforts are afoot to develop hundreds of smaller airports lying unused in the country into functional ones with private participation. Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, says, “We want to be an exporter of manpower in the aviation sector.” The Civil Aviation Secretary also announced that during the centenary year celebrations of civil aviation in India from 12 February 2011 to March 2012, an aviation university and a museum is also planned to be set up. Dr. Zaidi, addressing members of the ASSOCHAM at a centenary conference of Indian civil aviation, noted that the biggest challenge facing the aviation industry would be shortage of trained manpower in view of the increasing demand in the coming years. There is a huge potential for growth in the aviation sector as at the moment of the total air passenger numbers only two per cent Indians fly domestic routes and 0.5 per cent international ones. But there are several driving factors. “We need a proper policy to promote this growth,” he noted. Pointing out that there would be roughly 400 million air passengers in the next decade and with Rs.45000 crore spent on the modernization of airports there is need to have sufficient trained manpower. Dr. Zaidi said he had asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to prepare a register of airports and look for public, private participation (PPP) in order to make all those airports usable which exist in the country. He said 12 greenfield airports have already been approved and the Ecology Regulatory Authority (ERA) was looking into various aspects of airports. While development of hubs at Delhi and Mumbai airports is most important, by the end of 2012 Mumbai will be functioning as a hub. State governments will also be involved in development of infrastructure for promoting aviation. An Economic Advisory Council has been set up in the Civil Aviation Ministry to oversee planning of all airport projects. The Joint Secretary in the Civil Aviation Ministry, Mr. Alok Sinha said, “In view of the gigantic growth prospects, there was a need to have an investment of Rs.60000 crore in civil aviation in the 12th five-year- Plan starting 2013. Till 2012 Rs.40,000 crore will be spent in the 11th five-year-Plan of which 50% will be spent on Delhi and Mumbai airports.” Mr. Sinha said the country has 400 airports of which only 87 are functional. The AAI is now making a register which will be ready in six months time. According to him, land acquisition for upgrading airports was a major hurdle delaying projects. Giving away awards to airlines at the conference, Dr. Zaidi said, “Awards are meaningless if consumers are not satisfied.”