India safest country in terms of civil aviation, claims Vayalar Ravi

New Delhi, Feb 18 (ANI): Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi on Friday said that India is considered to be one of the safest countries in terms of civil aviation.

Speaking during the inaugural of the Centenary Celebrations of Civil Aviation in India, Ravi said: " Today India is considered to be one of the safest countries in terms of civil aviation. Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of America even cited India as a role model in the Asia-Pacific region.

In order to retain this position and to assure all travelers the guarantee of safety, the minister said: "It would be necessary to redefine the parameters of regulation.

"We are already looking into this matter and considering to restructure the DGCA into a more comprehensive system, which works well above international standards," he added.

He said one of the biggest challenges before us is to lend renewed vibrancy to public sector undertakings like Air India and Airports Authority of India.

"These two organisations have rendered historic service to the nation and their continued vibrancy is critical for optimal growth of the sector. The Government is committed to support these organizations to ensure their healthy future,' he added.

Emphasising that civil aviation is a major employment creator, Ravi said: "According to available studies it is expected that this sector will create new employment opportunities for nearly 26 lakh Indians by 2025.

"We shall strive to develop and nurture a strong world class training infrastructure in the country to ensure continuous production of skilled and professional manpower to fulfill the requirements of this sector," he added.

He further said the increase in civil aviation activity is bound to impact the environment too. It is necessary that we should nationally gear up to face this challenge and move towards better technologies and mitigation strategies to minimize the effect of aviation on environment.

"While we are celebrating our continuous growth it is also necessary to be eternally cautious of the threats to our security from various quarters," he said.

"We have to remember the tragedies of Kanishka and IC 814 to remain constantly vigilant of the dangers that lurk round the corner," he added. (ANI)