Privatisation Will Strengthen The Civil Aviation Sector Says Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday that privatisation will strengthen the civil aviation sector in the country.

"We are currently in the process of a privatisation programme for our flight carriers. According to projections, privatisation will strengthen the civil aviation sector and contribute to the expansion of the sector both in the short and medium term," Puri said at the curtain raiser event for WINGS India 2020.

The Union Minister expressed confidence that the Indian civil aviation sector will soon have 2,000 flights operating in the country.

"My projection indicates that not only will we have 2,000 aircraft in the sky soon, but in the coming years Delhi and Jewar airport combine will be bigger than Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted combination, which handle 140 million passengers," Puri said.

"Delhi airport today is literally bursting and wants to grow. Even if we have a fourth runway we may handle a traffic of 100 million people," he added.

Puri said that while India is currently facing a penetration in civil aviation of as little as 7-8 per cent, the same is expected to grow as high as 15, 20 and even 25 per cent in the near future.

"In spite of turbulence in the sector, particularly characterised by the secession of operations of one air carrier, between December 18 and April 2019, the sector has registered a growth of 11.03 per cent on a year-on-year basis for November 2019," he said.

Jet Airways had halted operations in April 2019 after facing a financial crisis due to bruising competition from low-cost airlines, fluctuating crude prices and a weak rupee.

The aviation exhibition WINGS India 2020 will be held at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad from March 12 to March 14 this year.