![]() ![]() There are 464 airports/airstrips in the country.Looking at what has been achieved in other countries, there is a wide gap which needs to be bridged first. Policy has necessarily to change in response to a rapidly transforming global scenario, although the process of transformation has to be progressive, orderly and safeguarded.to encourage transparency and clarity in the decision-making processes of Government and its public sector units.in the achievement of the above objective, to lay special emphasis on the development of infrastructure for remote and inaccessible areas, especially the North East, the hilly and island regions and.to foster the development of a strong airport infrastructure, maintaining a balance between the need for economic viability and the objective of equitable regional dispersal of infrastructural facilities.to provide a market orientation to the present structure, bridge the resource gap and encourage greater efficiency and enterprise in the operation of airports, through the introduction of private capital and management skills.to ensure total safety and security of aircraft operations by the introduction of state-of-art air traffic, security and related services.to enhance airport facilities to make the airport user friendly and achieve higher level of customer satisfaction.to provide airport capacity ahead of demand, in order to handle an increasing volume of air traffic and to garner the maximum share of traffic in the region.to provide a boost to international trade and tourism and enhance the country's image in the community of nations.The Policy on Airport Infrastructure should always be read along with the National Policy on Civil Aviation. While the Government is separately developing a policy framework for the entire civil aviation sector, this policy relates to use and development of airport infrastructure. Airports need to be integrated with other modes of transport like Railways and Highways, enabling seamless transportation to all parts of the country.This is especially true of sensitive regions on the borders with our neighbours in the west, north and north-east. In many remote, hilly and inaccessible areas of the country, air transport is the quickest and sometimes the only mode of travel available.They can be effectively used as symbols of national pride, if we pay sufficient attention to their quality and maintenance. Passengers form their first impressions about a nation from the state of its airports. ![]() Airports also represent a country's window on the world.Likewise, 97% of the country's foreign tourists arrive by air and tourism is the nation's second largest foreign exchange earner. Better cargo handling facilities lead to enhanced levels of importation, especially of capital goods and high-value items. While cargo carried by air in India weighs less than 1% of the total cargo exported, it accounts for 35% of the total value of exports. The quality of airport infrastructure, which is a vital component of the overall transportation network, contributes directly to a country's international competitiveness and the flow of foreign investment. Role of Airport Infrastructure in National EconomyĪirports being nuclei of economic activity assume a significant role in the national economy. As this is a capital-intensive sector, there is an obvious need for perspective planning with a vision for the next twenty years and to muster the combined resources of the public and private sectors, both domestic and foreign. In this context, it is vital that airport infrastructure grows in anticipation of the escalating needs of the air transport industry. It is now increasingly recognised that aviation, far from being a mere mode of transportation for an elite group, is crucial for sustainable development of trade and tourism. In our journey towards the twenty-first century when the Indian economy is all set to integrate itself into the global economy, the upgradation and modernisation of infrastructure and its efficient use have assumed critical importance.
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