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Year End Review 2024: Achievement of the Ministry of Civil Aviation

Vijay Gupta. Dated: 1/3/2025 10:37:59 PM

Milestone Legislation Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 Enacted

Year End Review 2024: Achievement of the Ministry of Civil Aviation

Milestone Legislation Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 Enacted

Delhi Declaration adopted at 2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference

Domestic Air Passenger Traffic Surged to New Highs in 2024

UDAN Turns 8: Connecting India with 619 Routes and 88 Operational Airports

Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated UDAN Yatri Cafe for affordable food

Transformative Legislation: The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024


The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, introduced by the Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, was passed by Lok Sabha on 09.08.2024 and by Rajya Sabha on 05.12.2024. The Bill, after receiving assent from the President, the Central Government hereby appoints the 1st day of January, 2025 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act, shall come into force. The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 is a legislative reform aimed at modernizing India’s aviation sector by re-enacting the Aircraft Act, 1934, in alignment with contemporary needs and global standards. In line with the Prime Minister’s call to remove colonial-era influences, this Adhiniyam addresses the need for clarity, efficiency, and ease of doing business in the aviation industry. The new legislation will foster indigenous manufacturing under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, align with international conventions like the Chicago Convention and ICAO, and streamline regulatory processes, such as simplifying the issuance of licenses. The Adhiniyam removes redundancies and provides provisions for appeals. Ultimately, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 aims to revolutionize India’s aviation sector, enhancing safety, innovation, growth, and global compliance.





2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation
Under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Civil Aviation Sh. Ram Mohan Naidu, Ministry successfully organized the 2nd APAC-MC on 11th and 12th September, 2024 in New Delhi. As a major achievement, Delhi Declaration was proclaimed by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Sh. Narendra Modi during the conference. The conference was attended by Hon'ble Ministers and high-level dignitaries from twenty-nine (29) Asia Pacific countries. Further, the conference was also attended by other aviation related International Organizations such as IATA, ACI, etc. and representatives from ICAO.





Expansion of Airports and Terminals-

Significant infrastructure development included laying the foundation for new terminals at Varanasi, Agra, Darbhanga, and Bagdogra. The Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated airports in Sarsawa, Rewa, and Ambikapur, strengthening regional connectivity.



Inauguration of Airports in Uttar Pradesh-

Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi inaugurated new airports at Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad, and Shravasti, further expanding air connectivity across the state.

Record Passenger Traffic
Domestic Routes - During the year 2024 (January-November), Scheduled domestic airlines operated a total number of 1.02 million scheduled flights carrying a total of 146.4 million scheduled passengers as against 0.97 million scheduled flights carrying total of 138.2 million scheduled passengers during the previous year 2023 (January-November). The number of domestic passengers carried by scheduled domestic Indian Carriers has witnessed a growth of 5.9% in the year 2024 as compared to the previous year 2023 during the same period (Jan to Nov). Marking a new record, domestic air passenger traffic crossed 5 lakhs for the first time in a single day on November 17, 2024.

International Routes - During the period January to November 2024 a total of 64.5 million passengers were carried on international routes by Scheduled Indian & foreign operators as against 58.0 million in the corresponding period in 2023, thereby witnessing a growth of 11.4%. Out of the 64.5 million passengers, 29.8 million passengers were carried by Scheduled Indian carriers while 34.7 million passengers were carried by scheduled foreign carriers during the period January to November 2024.

Setting up of Greenfield Airports
Government of India has so far accorded 'in-principle' approval for setting up of 21 Greenfield Airports across the country namely, Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan and Shivamogga in Karnataka, Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Rajkot in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry, Dagadarthi, Bhogapuram and Oravakal (kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh. Out of these, 12 Greenfield airports, namely Durgapur, Shirdi, Sindhudurg, Pakyong, Kannur, Kalaburagi, Oravakal (Kurnool), Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa, Shivammogga and Rajkot have been operationalized.

Further, development works at two major airport projects i.e. Noida (Jewar) and Navi Mumbai International Airports are at advance stage of completion and these airports are targeted for operationalization by first quarter of FY 2025-26. Besides, GoI has also granted 'Site Clearance' for construction of 9 Greenfield airports namely Alwar in Rajasthan, Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, Kottayam in Kerala, Puri in Odisha, Doloo in Assam, Parandur in Tamil Nadu, Kota in Rajashtan and Raichur in Karnataka. Among these, 'Site Clearance' to 4 Greenfield Airport projects viz. Doloo, Parandur, Kota and Raichur has been granted during 2024.

CAPEX on Infrastructure Development
Under National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), CAPEX of more than Rs. 91,000 crore is envisaged for airport infrastructure development during the period FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25, where the share of AAI is approx. Rs. 25,000 crore and remaining expenditure is to be borne by airport developers under PPP mode. Expenditure of approx. Rs. 82600 crores have been incurred under NIP from FY 2019-20 till November, 2024.

RCS-UDAN: 8 Years of Regional Connectivity
RCS-UDAN celebrated its 8th anniversary, with 619 routes and 88 airports operationalized since the launch of the scheme, exemplifying the government’s commitment to affordable air travel. RCS-UDAN was launched on 21 October 2016 to enable air operations on unserved/underserved routes connecting different regions, promote balanced regional growth, and make flying affordable for the masses.

102 New RCS routes commenced in the year 2024 of which 20 new RCS routes commenced in the North Eastern States of the country. 12 Aerodromes were also operationalized which included 04 Heliports.







6th Helicopters & Small Aircraft Summit:


The 6th Helicopters & Small Aircraft Summit held in Shillong, Meghalaya served as a platform to address key challenges and explore opportunities within the aviation sector, with a particular focus on helicopters, small aircraft, seaplanes, and skill development. Discussions explored opportunities for enhancing regional connectivity through helicopters and small aircraft, particularly in remote areas. The Summit highlighted the potential of expanding helicopter services to support tourism, healthcare, and trade.

2nd North East Aviation Summit:


The 2nd North East Aviation Summit focused on transforming the aviation landscape of the Northeast with improved connectivity and world-class infrastructure. It underscored the importance of initiatives like UDAN in empowering local communities and unlocking the region's economic and tourism potential. Participants discussed the need for enhanced regional connectivity to support tourism, trade, and healthcare access. The Summit also highlighted a demand for increasing direct international flights from Assam to destinations like Bangkok, Dhaka, Singapore, and Kathmandu, aiming to position the region as a global hub.

Inauguration of UDAN Yatri Café
In line with the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision of democratizing air travel, the UDAN Yatri Café was inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Sh. Ram Mohan Naidu at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. This initiative aims to provide passengers with affordable and quality food options, addressing concerns over high prices at airport eateries. The café offers a variety of budget-friendly items, including tea priced at ₹10 and samosas at ₹20, ensuring that travelers have access to reasonably priced refreshments. The inauguration coincided with the centenary celebrations of Kolkata Airport, marking 100 years of its establishment.







Expansion of Digi Yatra Services
Hon’ble Minister Sh. Ram Mohan Naidu launched Digi Yatra at 9 more airports this year. It has transformed passenger experiences with seamless, contactless travel. Digi Yatra is now operational at 24 airports namely Delhi, Bangalore, Varanasi, Pune, Kolkata, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, Lucknow, Cochin, Chennai, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Dabolim, Indore, MoPA Goa, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and Vishakhapatnam. Since its launch, 80+ lakh users downloaded the app and 4+ crore journeys have been completed with Digi Yatra facility. Digi Yatra App is available on android as well as iOS platform. Eventually, all the airports will be covered with Digi Yatra in a phased manner.





Guidelines for Seaplane Operations
The Minister of Civil Aviaiton Sh. Ram Mohan Naidu launched Guidelines for Seaplane Operations in India on 22.08.2024. These guidelines prioritize the safety and security of operations and define the responsibilities of all stakeholders, ensuring a seamless and efficient seaplane operation across the nation. The adoption of the Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) framework for seaplanes is a significant step forward in the Government’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity with a focus to allow expeditious commencement of seaplane operations in the country. UDAN Round 5.5 has been launched to invite bids for seaplane operations from more than 50 Water-bodies across the country.



MRO Sector Development-
The Government has introduced several policies and regulations to bring India's MRO sector at par with global peers and support growth of MRO industry in India. In a major boost to the domestic MRO industry and to the aviation sector, the Government has announced on 12th July, 2024 that a uniform rate of 5% IGST will apply to imports of Parts components, testing equipment, tools and tool-kits of aircraft, irrespective of their HSN classification subject to specified conditions. Previously, the varying GST rates of 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28% on aircraft components created challenges, including an inverted duty structure and GST accumulation in MRO accounts. This new policy eliminates these disparities, simplifies the tax structure, and fosters growth in the MRO sector. Further, the period for export of goods imported for repairs has been extended from six months to one year. Also, the time-limit for re-import of goods for repairs under warranty has been extended from three to five years.

Advancing Gender Equality in India's Aviation Sector

In order to promote gender equality in aviation section, an advisory has been issued on "gender equality in the civil aviation sector" for industry stakeholders to increase the number of women in various positions to 25% by 2025 in India's aviation industry. Stakeholders have been advised to promote enhanced representation of women in the aviation workforce, introduce leadership and mentorship programs for women in the organization.

Under the initiative “The President with the People,” Hon’ble President of India and the Civil Aviation Minister Sh. Ram Mohan Naidu interacted with 51 women achievers in the civil aviation sector. This included pilots, cabin crew, flight dispatchers, air traffic controllers, maintenance engineers, airport managers and regulators, highlighting their pivotal contributions to the industry.







Pioneering Green Energy Adoption
The Minister of Civil Aviation Sh. Ram Mohan Naidu has been driving adoption of conventional sources of energy at airports reducing the carbon footprint of operations. 80 airports have switched over to 100% green energy usage with 12 airports making the switch in 2024. Bengaluru Airport has achieved the highest Carbon Accreditation Level 5 of Airports International Council (ACI), whereas Airports Viz. Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad have achieved Level 4+ ACI accreditation, becoming Carbon neutral.