No.PR-1
April 3, 2019
New Delhi
CONSULTATIONS ARE ON TO RATIONALIZE ATF PRICING, SECRETARY, CIVIL AVIATION AT PHDCCI
Ministry of Civil Aviation is engaged in an intensive exercise of protracted consultations with all concerned stakeholders and State Governments to bring down taxation on ATF so that the increasing air fares are brought down, says its Secretary, Mr Pradeep Singh Kharola.
Inaugurating the 5th PHD Aviation Summit-2019 under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Mr Kharola also disclosed that deliberations are on among all departments and concerned authorities to restore normal air route for flights operating between Delhi and Kabul and vice a versa since Pakistan has blocked its air space for such operations on account of ongoing tensions between earlier.
The Secretary also announced that the Civil Aviation Ministry has been working on three pronged strategy to enhance skills of all its employees for capacity expansion and safety of passengers as also encouraging multinationals operators to set up their R&D (research & design) centre in India and also empowering existing civil aviation institutions so that skills and up-skills are abundantly available to farther the growth expansion and diversification of the sector.
Elaborating on reducing ATF pricing, Mr Kharola explained that necessary consultations have been progressing on this front within the right stakeholders and even some of the States have agreed to rationalize taxation on ATF and hoped that with emerging consensus the issue would be resolved and passenger fares rationalized.
Responding to a query raised by the diplomatic representative of Afghanistan present on the occasion, the Secretary assured that negotiations on this front are also advancing among the concerned authorities and assured that normalcy would prevail on this front and the air route between Delhi and Kabul and vice a versa be restored.
The Afghanistan representative had pointed out that due to on-going tensions, Pakistan had blocked its air space for flight operating between Delhi and Kabul and vice a versa as a result the one and half of flights now takes 6-7 hours with passengers fares escalating from usual $300 to $700.
Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr N Sivasailam in his key-note address laid out a detailed road map outlining the government initiatives for expansion of skills in multiple sectors of Indian economy as also assured India Inc that the government is also working for cargo logistics asking indigenous industry to come forward on this front and initiate a spirit of partnership with it so that the intended objective is served.
Among other who were present on the occasion comprised Senior Representative to South Asia-Federal Aviation Administration, Mr Thomas M Miller; Immediate former President, PHDCCI, Mr Anil Khaitan; Chair and Co-Chair, Civil Aviation Committee, PHDCCI, Mr K Narayana Rao and Mr Vipin Vohra including its Principal Director, Mr Yogesh Srivastav.
Ends.
Koteshwar Prasad Dobhal
Consultant (PR)