India should manage air passenger traffic growth: ICAO

Bangalore, Feb 8 (UNI) A key challenge for India is to manage strong air passenger traffic growth prospects systematically, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) said today.

''India must ensure safety, security, sustainability and efficiency of air transport operations,'' said its secretary general Taieb Cherif while addressing a conference held alongside Aero India 2007.

In managing security issues, he said, governments have the difficulty and unenviable task of balancing the need to maintaining and encouraging anti-terrorist vigilance while concurrently putting in place workable security measures that do not compromise the efficiency of air transport sector.

''ICAO's vision is one based on interoperability and seamless management system across regions for all users during all phases of flight that meets agreed levels of safety, provides for optimum economic operations, is environmentally sustainable and reflects national security requirements,'' said Mr Cherif.

India -- one of 52 countries which signed the charter of ICAO -- is facing great and challenging times in the aviation sector, he said.

In his inaugural address, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said the country will require 1,500-2,000 civil aircraft in the next 10 years and 75 billion dollars of hardware business.

''We're a sunrise market that needs to grow on a long-term, sustainable basis while adhering to the strictest safety norms.'' More UNI