A Word from Editor

In recent times, the Indian civil aviation industry has been much in the news and for all the right reasons. This segment which has a vital role to play in the national economic growth, has been the focus of the NDA government since it came to power in 2014. The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) that was unveiled in June 2016, was the first such exercise ever since independence. The major thrust of this policy is on boosting Regional Aviation, a segment of the industry that holds an immense potential for growth of the Indian airline industry. The potential is being exploited through the Regional Connectivity Scheme, also known as Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), that is aimed at bringing the facility of air travel to the masses that have hitherto remained deprived of it. This issue of SP’s AirBuz carries a report by Rohit Srivastava on the briefing by the Minister of Civil Aviation P. Gajapathi Raju and other senior functionaries, on UDAN II, the second round of bidding under this scheme. In addition Joseph Noronha has a comprehensive review of the progress of UDAN since it was initiated.

While there has been considerable forward movement in the Indian civil aviation industry in the last three years or so, there are a number of areas that still need correction. The lead story by the undersigned in this issue of the magazine catalogues ten such areas that need to be looked into to make the industry more dynamic and vibrant.

One area of the Indian civil aviation industry that needs urgent attention is the segment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services. Unfortunately today, bulk of the Indian civil aviation industry continues to be dependent on MRO services abroad, not only on account of lack of the required facilities in the country, but also because these services are available abroad at a significantly lower cost. Sukhchain Singh has a detailed analysis of the problem in this issue of the magazine. He is of the view that India, with its growing civil aviation industry, strategic location, rich pool of engineering expertise and lower manpower cost, has a huge potential to be a global MRO hub.

In this edition of SP’s AirBuz, John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation, highlights another extremely critical issue that is a problem faced by the global civil aviation industry today and particularly the airlines, that of shortage of pilots. The author is of the view that with the robust growth in air travel likely in the next two decades, the problem is likely to become more acute. Fortunately, the global airline industry is seized with this problem and has begun initiating measures to mitigate the gravity of the situation.

Another major change that the global civil aviation industry is definitely going to be confronted with in the future is the lack of availability of fossil fuel. In this issue of the magazine, A.K. Sachdev has a detailed review of this problem that is looming large over the horizon. He is of the view that with the growing alarm and awareness of depleting fossil fuels and environmental concerns, the market for alternative fuels for aircraft is expected to grow significantly. Use of bio-fuels for the aviation industry appears to be the solution for the future.

All this and more in this issue of SP’s AirBuz. Welcome aboard and wish you happy landings!