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More small airports on the cards, says Patel

KOLKATA: The Centre is keen on increasing the number of small airports to at least 500 across the country to ensure a better future for the domestic aviation industry, Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, said here on Sunday.

“The government is promoting regional airlines; that is where the traffic is”, Mr. Patel said. “If the United States can have 5,100 operational airports why cannot we have at least 500?” he asked while laying the foundation stone for developing infrastructure for an airport at the Behala Flying Club in the southwest of the city.

Mr. Patel pointed out that since he took over as Civil Aviation Minister three years ago the number of operational airports in the country had increased from 50 to 80.

The number of commercial aircraft in the country is also expected to rise from the present 350 to about 1,000 within the next five years, Mr. Patel said, adding that the civil aviation sector is looking at generating three million jobs in the next 10 years.

Additional aircraft will mean that “we will need more pilots”, the Minister said. “There are 1,000 pilots from abroad working in India now as we do not have adequate number of pilots from the country” he added, pointing out that similar institutes providing facilities for training of pilots like the one at Behala need to be set up elsewhere in the country too.

The Centre plans to develop the airport into a modern facility for regional flights to improve air connectivity to the North East and north Bengal. The State Government will need to acquire around 30 acres of land for the purpose, Mr. Patel said. Rs. 10 crores will be invested in the first phase for the development of infrastructure, an official of the ministry added.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who was present on the occasion, said his government was looking towards more industries and commerce for which development in infrastructure and transport facilities was imperative at a time when more industries are being set up in the State.

His government would provide all infrastructure and logistic support for the development of the Behala airport that would function as an auxiliary airport to the city’s Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Mr. Bhattacharjee said.

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