Helicopter - Liberalisation is the Solution

The growth of the helicopter industry needs to be supported by rational and industry-friendly regulations and creation on fast-track of the much needed and dedicated infrastructure that can help the nation realise the true potential of this industry

The Indian Civil Aviation Industry, in recent times, has registered one of the fastest growth rates in the world with private airlines accounting for more than 75 per cent of the sector. The civil aviation sector is dominated by the scheduled category where aircraft operate on a published time schedule on pre-set routes. In the non-scheduled category, operators are not permitted to publish time schedules, issue tickets or operate regularly on pre-set routes. In India, there are no helicopters operating in the scheduled category.

In the non-scheduled category are the air charter operators having the licence to hire out their aircraft. There are also company, government or privately owned aircraft, the employment of which is restricted to organisation-related work or for private use and are not permitted to be hired out.

Helicopters in Civil Aviation In India

Altogether, there are nearly 250 helicopters owned by the corporate sector, the state governments, air charter companies or by private individuals, operating in the civil aviation sector in India. Bell Helicopter Textron of the US commands the largest market share in India, followed by AgustaWestland, Eurocopter, Sikorsky, Robinson, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with the indigenous Dhruv, Cheetah and Chetak.

Fuelled by the rapid growth of the hydrocarbon sector, the market for helicopters in India is growing at a phenomenal rate of 30 per cent per year. Increase in the number of offshore oil rigs, intense and widening exploration/mining activity, the steady growth in tourism and rapid industrialisation have all contributed to the increasing demand for helicopters. Estimates are that by 2015, there would be more than 500 civil helicopters operating in the country.

Wide Range of Application

Helicopters find several applications in India and in a rapidly growing market this is only expected to increase. Currently, a bulk of helicopter operations are dedicated to offshore work ferrying men and material to oil rigs in Bombay High, the Krishna-Godavari Basin and other oil finds on the high seas. Next is the corporate sector that exploits the flexibility of the helicopter for the travel of company executives to industrial locations especially in remote areas where other means of transport are time consuming or tedious. National and state elections serve as a major catalyst in the growth of the helicopter industry providing a notable spike in the utilisation rate of the helicopter fleet during these periods. Political leaders obviously find it expedient and convenient to use helicopters to connect with their constituencies.

Heli-tourism is a concept that is slowly taking shape in India. Manali in Himachal Pradesh is one of the first cities to provide regular helicopter services for skiers. In some areas, joyrides and aerial tours of cities including low-level flight over wildlife sanctuaries are an attraction for tourists. Popular pilgrimage destinations like Katra-Vaishnodevi, Amarnath and Shirdi now have helicopter service. Aerial survey provides the easiest means to cover large areas, especially with the ever increasing infrastructure such as highways, power transmission lines, railway tracks and oil and gas pipelines.

On account of its versatility, the helicopter can be employed in a variety of specialised roles and in situations requiring rapid transportation into or out of congested undeveloped, remote and difficult terrain. Capable of alighting on practically any hard and even surface as also on water when equipped with floats, the helicopter provides tremendous flexibility. The under slung load carrying capacity of helicopters can be used for various applications involving transportation of heavy and large size loads such as logs and pipes over short distances and into congested areas.

One area where the helicopter can definitely be gainfully employed is for emergency medical service as air ambulance. In the absence of a proper road network, for over six decades, Flying Doctors have been using small private aircraft to attend to patients in the farflung outback of Australia. Today in 2010, India does not even have a dedicated air ambulance service for emergency medical service. With low cost and high quality medical treatment available, India is emerging globally as a popular destination for medical tourism. However, emergency medical evacuation by helicopters, a facility that could prove to be critical in life threatening situations, is not easily available to the domestic customer. In the developed world, emergency medical services are provided by the government and are rated at par with fire-fighting and police services. A wide network of helipads would facilitate speedy transfer of critically ill patients to the most appropriate medical establishment for timely assistance.

The worsening internal security situation accentuates the need for aerial surveillance especially of the vast and porous coastline and the sprawling metros where it is extremely difficult to monitor and respond to security threats with ground based facilities. The helicopter is perhaps one of the most effective ways of fulfilling this need round-the-clock. It is understood that the security establishments are now considering the use of helicopters for aerial surveillance during the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi.