New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday said India needs to remain vigilant amid the worsening geopolitical situation in West Asia, while asserting that the current developments are “not worrisome for India at present”.

Speaking to reporters during his first visit to Ranchi, the minister said the government and key sectors, including aviation, were closely monitoring the evolving situation and preparing strategies to deal with any possible impact.

“The situation is not worrisome at present, but we need to remain alert. Every sector, including civil aviation, has to assess the impact and prepare short-term, medium-term and long-term strategies,” Naidu said.

Addressing concerns over rising airfares amid global uncertainty, the minister said the Centre had already taken steps to prevent additional financial burden on passengers.

He noted that aviation turbine fuel prices, along with airport landing and parking charges, had been reduced to support airlines and maintain fare stability.

Naidu also referred to the recent decision of the Delhi Government to reduce value-added tax on aviation turbine fuel from 25 per cent to 7 per cent.

“Nearly five lakh passengers travel daily on domestic routes. We are continuously monitoring airfares. If demand rises, we will increase connectivity and deploy more aircraft,” he said.

During his visit, the minister launched several passenger-centric initiatives at Birsa Munda Airport and announced that the modified version of the regional connectivity scheme, UDAN Scheme, would soon be rolled out with an estimated allocation of around Rs 29,000 crore.

He said the revised scheme aims to develop 100 new airports and 200 helipads over the next decade.

The government also plans to expand the “Udan Yatri Cafe” initiative across airports to provide affordable food options for travellers.

Emphasising the Centre’s aviation roadmap, the minister said airport modernisation and improved connectivity with major Indian cities remained key priorities.

“In the last 10 years, airports, passengers and aircraft have doubled. From only 74 airports in 2014, the country now has 165. No other country saw such a boost in airports. This could be possible only through the PM’s ‘Hawai Chappal to Hawai Jahaj travel’ mantra,” he said.

–IANS

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