Air traffic to grow by 40 per cent in 06: Patel

New Delhi, May 12: Domestic air passenger traffic is expected to record a growth rate of 40 per cent this year, up from 26 per cent last year and 20 per cent in 2004.

Minister for civil aviation Praful Patel said the government will upgrade infrastructure at airports to cope up with the rising traffic. He was speaking at the parliamentary consultative committee meet held here today.

Aviation experts say the traffic of domestic air travelers is likely to total up to 60 million by 2010, up from 20 million at present.

Mr Patel said the government is also committed to promote air connectivity within and outside the country, training of pilots and revamping the route dispersal guidelines.

More cargo facilities will be developed to cater to agricultural exports, he told members.

The members expressed satisfaction at successfully completing the process of approval for aircraft acquisition for both Air India and Indian. They also spoke of restructuring and modernising the metro as well as the non-metro airports across the country. Those present at the meeting were: Mr Tusharbhai A Choudhary, Mr Santosh Gangwar, Mr Tapir Gao, Mr Ramswaroop Koli, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ms Sumitra Mahajan, Dr Rajesh Kumar Mishra, Mr Deepender Singh Hooda, Mr M S Gill, Mr Tarlochan Singh, Mr Abdul Wahab Peevee, Mr Sanjay Raut, Dr Vijay Mallya and Mr Rajeev Shukla.

UNI