Management of Civil Aviation in India

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Civil aviation in India goes back to 1911, when a French pilot named Henri Pequet, transported mail from the Allahabad exhibition to the receiving office, also in Allahabad. The total distance travelled was just 10 kilometres, but it was a momentous day in the history of India. With the support of industrialists such as JRD Tata, the aviation industry blew up, and currently, India has risen to become the 3rd biggest civil aviation market in the world. As astonishing 131 passengers travelled by train, of which almost a 100 million were just domestic passengers. These numbers are incredible, especially when you take into account that India’s median salary is quite paltry, as compared to the other superpowers.



Several websites are present for online bookings. IF you are looking for a schedule, say the Mumbai to New Delhi Flights Schedule , you will get a comprehensive listing with the cost. Reservations have become a walk in the park.



Regulation Governing Aviation



The entire civil aviation sector is governed by the Aircraft Act, which was passed in 1934. One of the basic rules is that an airline must have at least 20 aircrafts in its fleet, and 5 or more years of experience with domestic flying to qualify for international travel. This is the famous 5/20 rule of the Act, which has been modified as of today.



Stamping of hand baggage tags has been followed since 1992 by security personnel. A trial was conducted between 16th and 21st of December, 2016 where domestic passengers were exempted from baggage tag stamping. A couple of months later, in February 2017, baggage tag stamping was no longer necessary at seven of the major airports in the country, with plans to eliminate this from all the airports.



Taking it Forward - National Civil Aviation Policy 2016



On the 15th of June, 2016, the Government of India released a new policy overseeing areas such as safety, connectivity, air traffic operations, maintenance, overhauls and repairs, financial support and a host of other departments. The following are some of the critical implementations of the NCAP.



• The 5/20 rule was modified. Currently, 0 years and a minimum of 20 aircraft are required for international operation.

• Regional Connectivity Scheme with the goal of improving the domestic connectivity among the various parts of the country.

• Reviving the underused and unused routes under the RCS.

• A new category, called as “Schedule Commuter Operator” was introduced under Air Transport Operations.



Partnerships Forged



The regulator of civil aviation in the country, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, or the DGCA in short, signed a Grant Agreement with the United States Technical Development Agency on the 9th of February, 2016. The USTDA will help fund the improvement of systems at the DGCA.



Security



Ensuring safety is one of the primary tasks of any airport. For this reason, the Central Industrial Security Force’s help has been enlisted. It is governed by the Ministry of Home Affairs and is one of the unique reorganisations of the paramilitary force in India. The officers are specially trained in Disaster Management, which is vital for such a posting.

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