Indo-EU aviation summit focus on opportunities

New Delhi, Nov 17: The Indo-EU aviation summit being held here on November 23 and 24 will bring together top policy makers and industry executives from aviation and aerospace industries and services, hence providing an important platform for enhancing cooperation.

The meet is being jointly organised by the civil aviation ministry and the directorate general for energy and transport of the European Commission. It will be inaugurated by civil aviation minister Praful Patel and EC's vice-president Jacques Barrot.

Policy statements and business strategies will be at the centre of discussions which will address a wide range of topical trends and new opportunities in India-EU aviation relations.

The highlights will include political and regulatory developments, developments in passenger and cargo markets, infrastructure needs and investment opportunities in the aviation sector, safety and security policies and cooperation, new challengers in commercial aircraft technology, air traffic management and technological and industrial cooperation.

The summit will be attended by key players from the public and private sectors in India and the EU. These are expected to include representatives of governments, airlines, airports and aerospace industries and service providers.

In November 2004, Indian and EU leaders decided to upgrade the India-EU relationship to the level of a strategic partnership and to support this partnership through the implementation of a joint action plan that was endorsed at the 2005 summit held in September 2005. In recent years, the Indian air traffic market has been among the fastest growing in the world. In 2005, domestic air passenger traffic increased by 22 per cent while international passenger traffic grew by 15 per cent.

Since 1990, the number of seats available on scheduled non-stop flights between India and the EU has increased from 2.6 million to 5.5. million in 2005 (plus 116 per cent). Capacity on India-EU routes is expected to grow even faster in the coming few years.

With such a rapid development in air traffic, important new challenges and opportunities are emerging. Market opening and attempts to attract private and foreign capital to the Indian aviation market are seen as part of the measures necessary to develop and modernise India's aviation sector in order to meet increasing demand and consumer expectations.

India has therefore in recent years taken decisive steps towards opening up its aviation market. These developments combined with the expansion of the single European aviation market offer both significant new challenges and opportunities to all involved in the aviation sector.

UNI