Govt plans to set up civil aviation university in UP

The government intends to set up a civil aviation university to cater to the growing need for skilled manpower in the civil aviation sector, Union Civil Aviation minister Ajit Singh said on Wednesday. "This will enhance our capacity to produce world class skilled manpower in the aviation sector," Singh added while inaugurating the India Aviation 2014 event in Hyderabad. The university will be located at Fursatganj, in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh.

Singh noted that there was huge untapped potential for the airline industry in India, its air traffic density - the number of people travelling by air per million urban population - being much lower than that of even countries like Sri Lanka.

"Air traffic density in India is 72 compared to China's 282, Brazil's 231, Malaysia's 1225, let alone the US' 2,896," he said. The minister also said the government was keen on regional and remote area connectivity and had recently announced a regional and remote area air connectivity policy which provides several financial and other concessions to those operating flights to airports in these places.

Talking of the government's efforts to have an industry-friendly policy, he said the biggest game changer for the sector in India had been the move to allow  49 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) by foreign airlines in Indian carriers.