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New Delhi:
The rules governing civilian helicopters in India are very restrictive and so they make operation unviable at instances, mentioned Civil Aviation Secretary PS Kharola on Friday, including that the federal government is working to ease these rules in order that the widespread man is benefitted.
“Somehow, what has happened is that the regulations which were meant for fixed-wing planes have just been applied with little modifications to the helicopters,” he mentioned throughout a webinar at 2nd Helicopter Summit-2020 organised by business physique FICCI.
“As a result of which, these regulations are very restrictive and at times, they even make the operation of helicopters unviable. So the second sector we are working on is easing out these regulations so that the helicopters can be used for the benefit of the common man,” he added.
In order to spice up helicopter operations in India, the primary sector that the Civil Aviation Ministry is specializing in is making a community of heliports, the secretary mentioned.
“There are certain places in South India too where movement with helicopters is very desirable and it is possible. So, the first thing we are concentrating on is creating a network of heliports. In this, we are getting full support from the state governments,” Mr Kharola mentioned.
The three different elements on which the ministry is working is to make helicopter operations viable in a method that it turns into inexpensive for passengers, scale back taxes on air turbine gasoline (ATF) that’s taxed at very excessive charges, and increase manufacturing and upkeep, restore and overhaul (MRO) actions for helicopters in India, Mr Kharola mentioned.
“Somehow helicopters have not seen the growth we have seen in fixed-wing planes in our country,” he mentioned.
“On the fixed planes side, the traffic has been growing 15-16 per cent during the last 10 years. But helicopters somehow did not get to the right place so that they could grow,” he mentioned.
Helicopters are versatile machines and they’re concerned in numerous capabilities like rescue operations, emergency operations or medical evacuation operations, Mr Kharola mentioned.
Even now, helicopters are getting used to combat the locust swarms which have come into the western a part of the nation, he added.
The government-owned Pawan Hans is presently the biggest participant in civil helicopter aviation in India. It has a fleet of 43 helicopters, as per its web site.
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