by Suman Gupta
MUMBAI,January 2019: As one of the key speakers of the inaugural session of Global Aviation Summit, 2019, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Devendra Fadnavis focused on how aviation contributed to 15 percent of the national GDP. Welcoming all the dignitaries and ministers to the financial and entertainment capital of India, the chief minister highlighted the importance of growth in the aviation sector and said that Mumbai is proud to be one of the most efficiently managed airport in India.
Thanking Mr Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Civil Aviation and Commerce and Industry for choosing Mumbai as the venue for this prestigious summit, Mr Fadnavis said Maharashtra is an industrial state and the way aviation sector is witnessing growth, there is a demand for more infrastructure, more airport spaces. Mentioning the construction of the new Navi Mumbai airport, which is touted to be operational by 2020, the minister said that the airport will offer a unique experience to travellers. The airport has capacity to add 1 percent to our GDP and apart from this there are 9 airports in the pipeline in the state.
While Pune airport is being developed to cater to one of the major IT hubs in the country, Nagpur airport is being developed for its strategic location in national and international flight routes. All metros in India are around an hour’s distance from Nagpur by flight and this connectivity has called for more attention to its infrastructure development, the chief minister added. The connectivity between South East Asia and Europe also passes through Nagpur and hence facilities at the airport are one of the best that have been created. A passenger and cargo hub will also be created in Nagpur while Boeing has already started manufacturing few airplane components in Nagpur. Other companies have shown interest in establishing their aviation facilities in Nagpur.
The Chief Minister also said that a strategy has been put in place for a seamless ecosystem that boosts greater growth in the aviation sector. One of the unique things about the state of Maharashtra is the technical human resource and the ecosystem that has been created using the artificial intelligence and technical minds. Soon, the state is committed to enabling the “Flying for all” through better technical decisions made in the state. Recalling the UDAN scheme, the chief minister said ensuring affordable flights for most people will soon be an accomplished goal.
A first-of-its-kind event, the summit witnessed the participation of 13 transport and civil aviation ministers, 36 civil aviation authorities, 800 delegates, more than 35 exhibitors from over 80 countries across the world. Apart from Mr Fadnavis, the inaugural session was attended by Mr Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Civil Aviation and Commerce and Industry, Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the Council ICAO, Mr Jayant Sinha, MoS, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr R N Choubey, Secretary, Minister of Civil Aviation and Mr Sandip Somany, President, FICCI
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