BD, Bhutan, Nepal to benefit from India becoming global aviation hub

Dhaka: India is in efforts to establish itself as a global aviation hub, which in turn will also benefit Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and other neighbouring countries as the country firmly believes in the ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, said reports.

In an effort to renovate Air India fleet and mitigate the losses due to the pandemic, Tata Group is said to buy 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. The Boeing order is estimated at USD 34 billion and the Airbus deal at USD 35 billion, making it one of the largest aircraft deal in commercial aviation history.

As the air passenger number in 2022 grew by 47 per cent to 123 million compare to 2021, India’s civil aviation industry is near to hitting pre-pandemic levels, as per the date from Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

100 unserved and underserved landing sites such as airports, heliports, water aerodromes and advance landing grounds will be revived or developed by 2024 in an attempt to extend air connectivity across regions that are not yet connected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, “The civil aviation sector is an integral part of India’s development. Strengthening civil aviation is an important aspect of our national infrastructure strategy. In the last eight years, the number of airports in India has jumped from 74 to 147. In the near future, India will become the third largest civil aviation market in the world.”

Reports said this aviation boom of India will benefit its immediate neighbours like Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, among others.  

More airports and aircraft mean more training opportunities for pilots, cabin crew and ground staff. Talent solution company, NLB services expect the demand for both tech and non-tech talent to rise by 10-15 per cent in the aviation sector.

Regarding the aircraft deal, Guillaume Fuary, CEO, Airbus, said, “India is on the verge of an international air travel revolution and we are humbled at Airbus that our partnership with the Tata Group will contribute to this new chapter. The time is right for India to become an international aviation hub. We are working with bigger partnerships and one of our ambitions for this country is to bring in commercial aircraft manufacturing at some point in time in the future.”

French President Emmanuel Macron emphasised the economic importance of the Airbus deal. Moreover, Macron pledged France will work with India beyond. “This achievement shows that Airbus and all its French partners are fully dedicated to developing new areas of dedication with India,” he mentioned.   

US President Joe Biden also hailed the agreement with Boeing as historic. “The purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states,” he said.

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