Aviation Ministry targets 50 per cent market share

Kolkata, Sep 7 (UNI) The Aviation Ministry has targeted 50 per cent market share from the present 30 per cent in the passenger capacity after completion of modernisation of airports and acquiring of more aircraft, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Patel said presently the country's share stood at 30 per cent in both inbound and outbound passengers, but as demands were increasing for more flights across the country and overseas, the Ministry hoped to rope in another 20 per cent in the share in the coming years to make it globally competitive.

Mr Patel said the Ministry was expecting some 150 billion US Dollar investment in the aviation industry as modernisation of four airports - Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore - was expected to be completed by 2010.

Besides, the Ministry was increasing its fleet of aircraft from the present 125 to 1000 in the next five years and 1500 by 2020, he added.

The Aviation Ministry was expected to create some three million job opportunities in the next ten years, he stated.

India needed at least 400 airports compared to 5100 in the USA to make the country's aviation industry a bit competitive as domestic demand was huge and the gap was widening due to the fast developing scenario after open market regime was launched early nineties.

About the modernisation of Kolkata airport, Mr Patel said the Ministry did not want it to be delayed and hoped something would come out after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee later tonight.

He said Rs 2000 crore was earmaerked for the modernisation of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport and the Ministry was expecting that the state government would give the go ahead signal by early next year.

He said there was no consensus on the mordernisation of the city airport, adding if it did not take place, it would be a major setback to the whole eastern region.

Asked to clarify the Civil Aviation vision of 2020, Mr Patel said it was a sort of document to envisage modernisation of the aviation system with logistic approach till next decade in terms of creating infrastructural facilities and public-private partnership in the industry.

UNI