indian aviation industry 2014

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0 By: - Mithilesh Trivedi Batch: - PGP/SS/13-15/T2 Subject: - Economics for Managerial Decision Making-II

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This is a project report of Indian aviation industry which has all information of different industries like MRO, Traffic management,etc.

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Page 1: Indian aviation Industry 2014

0

By: - Mithilesh Trivedi

Batch: - PGP/SS/13-15/T2

Subject: - Economics for Managerial Decision Making-II

Page 2: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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Table of Content

Sr. No. Particulars Page No.

I. Acknowledgement 2

II. Declaration 3

III. Executive Summary 4

IV. Introduction to Aviation Industry 6

V. Indian Aviation Industry 14

VI. Unlocking the Indian Aviation Sector 21

VII. State Government Initiative 31

VIII. The Way Forward 48

IX. Bibliography 51

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Acknowledgement

I would like to thank all people who made a major contribution to our EMDM Project on

Aviation Industry of India 2014. My Professors, Colleagues and associates at “Indian

Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)”.

I would also like to thank the Professor of EMDM-II, for supporting us in all areas. Whenever

I required help regarding this project, he helped us every time.

I would also like to thank all members of 5onn group and their contribution towards project.

I believe that the credit goes to all who knowingly and unknowingly have supported me during

my internship period.

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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that all the information has been collected, analysed and

documented for the project is entirely authentic. I would also like to mention

categorically that the work done here have not been purchased or acquired by any

other unfair means or from any external sources. The data and information

presented in this report are accurate.

However, for the purpose of the project, information, already compiled in many

sources has been utilized.

Mithilesh Trivedi

PGP/SS/13-15/T2

Page 5: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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The Indian civil aviation industry is on a high growth trajectory, albeit with minor hiccups.

India has a vision of becoming the third largest aviation market by 2020 and is expected to be

the largest by 2030.

Despite facing a reduced growth rate in the past few years, the Civil Aviation Industry in India

has ushered in a new era of expansion driven by factors such as Low Cost Carriers (LCC),

modern airports, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in domestic airlines, cutting edge

Information Technology (IT) interventions and a growing emphasis on regional connectivity.

Simply going by the market size, the Indian civil aviation industry amongst the top 10 in the

world with a size of around USD 16 billion.

However, in order to achieve the vision of becoming the third largest aviation market by 2020,

a lot more needs to be done.

The Asia Pacific region along with other emerging economies of Latin America and Eastern

Europe are projected to lead the growth of the global aviation sector in the next few decades.

Steady economic development of China and India would lead to higher spending power and

increased need to travel. With one third of the world's population residing in these two nations,

there is a huge untapped potential. As per the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017), improving air

connectivity in tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India is one of the key priorities of the government.

This expansion will not only add a much needed boost to the industry, but also increase the

viability of new trends like low cost airports and airlines in the country. With the unfortunate

downgrade of India to Category 2 by USA's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), expansion

in the global routes may be constrained. That too will lead to greater focus on the domestic

market in the short run. All this will have a multiplier effect in terms of higher growth of local

economic activities, tourism and employment.

India sells one of the costliest Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in the world, nearly 60% costlier

than competing nations in the Middle East and ASEAN regions. This is thanks to myopic tax

policies at the central and state level. The raw material - ATF – accounts for nearly half of the

operating cost of Indian carriers. This explains why domestic flight tickets in India are often

costlier than a 3 days weekend package in Thailand and Malaysia' No wonder tourism traffic

in India is a fraction of its immense God-gifted potential.

Executive Summary

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The irony is that the common man in whose name high taxes are imposed on ATF, is himself

prevented from flying due to high travel costs! According to a rough estimate, nearly 99.5

percent of the world's third largest economy, have NOT seen the insides of an aircraft. Most

Indian carriers therefore are facing financial ruin and are hoping for a white knight to bail them

out.

Some recent initiatives such as allowing import of ATF are a step in the right direction but

more proactive measures are needed in order to make industry more competitive and investor

friendly. The positive Indian airlines are slowly becoming evident. Removal of unwritten ban

on A380s will help bring down cost of travel and increase tourist arrivals. The 5/20 rule and

other regulatory other hurdles in approval of new airlines and import of aircraft need to be

abolished at the earliest.

The regulatory regime governing Maintenance, Repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircrafts is

another classic case of tax and procedural overkill. Not a single commercial aircrafts of Indian

carriers undergoes repairs in India. Empty aircrafts are flown to MRO facilities in our

neighboring countries and paid for in foreign exchange. The loss of revenue, foreign exchange,

employment and direct taxes is immense. All this is thanks to the short-sighted policies

regarding indirect taxes (service Tax and VAT) and cumbersome customs procedures regarding

import of aircraft parts and consumables.

With the growth of air traffic in the region, focused efforts to upgrade the Air Navigation

Services (ANS) has become imperative. Segregation or ANS directorate from Airport

Authority of India (AAI) into a world class organization with latest infrastructure and well

trained professionals is key. Government is expected to decide on the matter soon.

In pursuit of becoming a strong aviation player; India perhaps did not put the right emphasis

on development of human capital and regulatory frameworks. The FFA downgrade has been

fallout of the same. India needs to put its act together to address these issues. The creation of a

financially and operationally independent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the National

Aviation University (NAU) need to be undertaken on a war footing.

There is a large untapped potential growth in the Indian Aviation industry due to the fact that

access to aviation is still a dream for nearly 99.5 percent of its large population, nearly 40

percent of which is the upwardly mobile middle class. It is critical for the industry stakeholders

to engage and collaborate with policy makers to come up with efficient and rational decision

that will shape the future of Indian Civil Aviation Industry. With right policies and a relentless

focus on quality, cost and passenger interest, India would be well placed to achieve its vision

of becoming the third largest aviation market by 2020 and the largest by 2030.

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Introduction to Aviation Industry

Air transportation services have evolved into a crucial building block for the world's socio-

economic growth. In the last four decades, the air travel across the world has grown by more

than 1000% and the air freight has increased by over 1400% while the national economies have

grown only three to four times. This phenomenal growth is due to a combination of three key

global drivers, namely, increase in disposable incomes, accelerated globalization and

deregulation of the aviation industry.

Key Global Drivers of Aviation Industry

Increasing competition, technological advancements and improved operational efficiencies

have enabled the cost of air travel to remain relatively low despite severe volatility of global

fuel prices and leading currencies.

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Socio-economic benefits of Air Transport Services

Air transport is essential for global business and tourism because of the

growing value of time and money. Aircrafts transported around 3.1 billion passengers and over

51.6 million tonnes of freight in 2013'. Over 35%oof the inter-regional exports of goods by

value and 51% of international tourists are served by air transport services.

The development of air transportation services and socio-economic

development are highly correlated. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization

(CAO), an additional dollar invested in air transport leads to a benefit of around three dollars

to the local economy. Moreover, every additional job created in the air transport results in

creation of over six new jobs in the local economy. Figure 2 describes the distribution of

employment generated by aviation services around the world.

Distribution of global employment in the aviation sector

Page 9: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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Trends in Aviation Industry

Year on Year (YoY) comparison of key parameters for the global aviation industry are

represented in following table.

Global Passenger and Cargo growth trend (2013 v/s 2012)

The growth in passenger traffic has been led by a strong progress made by the Middle East

countries supported by the other emerging economies of Latin America, Africa and Asia-

Pacific. The developed economies of North America and Europe lagged behind in terms

of growth in passenger traffic.

The cargo traffic growth rate has recovered from a decreasing trend during 2012. While

Middle East nations have managed a strong growth during 201-3, Asia Pacific and North

America showed a decline. The details regarding regional passenger and cargo traffic are

presented in the following table.

Page 10: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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Regional international passenger and cargo traffic growth trends (2013 vs. 2012)

It has been observed that during economic upswing, airline traffic grows roughly around twice

the rate of growth of GDP. The following figures display the trend of scheduled passengers

and cargo during the last decade. The recession caused by the Global Financial Crisis in 2008

has led to a negative growth in both passenger as well as cargo traffic.

Global scheduled Air Passenger Traffic, 2004-2013 (in Million)

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Global Air freight tonnage, 2OO4-2O13 (in Millions)

As the economies develop, especially in the Asian region, the

expected aerospace industry is expected to continue on its growth path. This is reflected in the

order books of the aircraft manufacturing companies. The global passenger aircraft fleet is

expected to grow from the existing size of 16094 (in 20L2) to 33,651 (in 2032). The number

of dedicated freighters is expected to grow from 1645, to 2,905 over the same period.

While some of the existing passenger aircrafts will be

reconfigured as dedicated to be freighter, 871 new freighters are projected to be introduced.

Around 28,355 new aircrafts are expected to be added to passenger fleet. The following shows

the breakup of new deliveries by region and by type of aircrafts.

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Global Aircraft Deliveries by aircraft type

29,226 New deliveries globally during 2013-2032 by aircraft type

Regional distribution of aircraft deliveries

Regional distribution of 29,226 new deliveries during 2013-2032

Page 13: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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The distribution of the new aircraft deliveries, showcased in the figures above, strongly

Support the expected trend in the aviation sector. Middle income groups in emerging

economies increasingly want to travel by air. During the period of next 20 years. The RPK in

these countries is expected to grow at a rate of around 6%, while it is expected to grow at a

rate of 4% in the advanced economies of western Europe' North America and Japan. While

large aircrafts would be required to serve the routes between pairs of cities with heavy

passenger and cargo traffic, smaller aircrafts are expected to grab the lion's share.

TheAsiaPacificregionisexpectedtoemergeasthelargestaviationmarketby2032. Middle East and

Latin America are expected to enhance their share at the cost of North America and Europe.

Forecasted change in pattern of region wise distribution of RPK

The proportion of the new deliveries of the aircraft in Asia Pacific region is in line with the

global trend where single aisle aircrafts having a share of over 60%. The share of the smaller

aircrafts is increasing due to the growing dominance of Low Cost Carriers (LCC). LCCs have

driven the growth of the aviation market in this region through low fares, introduction of new

routes and periodic discount offers.

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India and china, accounting for around one third of world’s population are well poised to

contribute to and benefit from growth of aviation sector. The following figure displays the

projected 20-year GDP growth rate of various region across the world. This highlight the high

growth in aviation expected in the two Asian giants.

Regional GDP Growth – 20 year CAGR

Page 15: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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Indian Aviation Industry

The Indian aviation sector is experiencing a mix of exciting and challenging times.

On one hand, mounting losses of domestic airlines, high cost of ATF, show growth in passenger

and cargo traffic, rising fares, high airport charges, pitiable state of the MRO sectors, etc. are

crippling industry growth. On the other hand, the long term growth prospects of the industry are

attracting international prayers to invest in India.

The size of Indian civil aviation industry is amongst the top ten in the world at USD 16 billion.

Despite market fluctuations especially with regard to ATF prices, the Indian aviation sector is

growing, albeit slowly. Indian carriers plan to double their fleet size by 2020 to around 800

aircrafts.

In order to cope up with the growing demand of air travel, India’s Ministry of civil Aviation

(MoCA) has introduced some far-reaching reforms. These include:

1) Handing over airport management of leading airports to private players on a PPP

basis

2) Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49% in Indian carriers. This would not only

facilitate funds infusion, but will also bring in global best practices and synergy

benefits.

3) In addition to the Greenfield airports at Navi Mumbai, Goa, Kannur and

Kushinagar, six MI airports have been identified for handover to private

management under the PPP route following the successful implementation of PPP

models like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Cochin. There are reports

of another 14 AAI airports being considered for PPP

4) All Indian carriers are now allowed to fry to foreign locations subject to the 5/20

Rule. The discriminatory 5/20 Rule itself is likely to be abolished. This has led to

an increase in share of Indian carriers in the growing international traffic to and

from India.

5) 51 new low-cost airports in tier 3-4 cities have been planned in order to improve

regional connectivity

6) Direct import of ATF to offset the high sales tax imposed on it.

7) Introduction of 24x7 customs facility at the cargo terminals at reading airports.

8) Extension of duty-free period for parts and testing equipment imported for

Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) from three months to one year.

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9) Maintenance, Repairs and overhaul operations included under the airport

infrastructure category, in a view to facilitate external commercial borrowings (ECB)

for the sector

However global comparison of air travel penetrations shows that India (at 0.04 air-trips per

capita per annum) stands far behind the developed countries like US and Australia (2 air-trips

per capita per annum). China’s air travel penetration is five times the size of India's despite

having a population around 10 percent higher.

As India's economy grows, disposable income rise and the value of time increases, the air

travel penetration is expected to grow exponentially.

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Evolution of Indian Aviation Industry: -

In the last decade, India has made a significant growth in aviation. As

per data from Airports Authority of India (AAI), passenger throughout grew to 159 million

(FY 13) and cargo throughput to 2.19 MT (FY 13) registering an impressive growth of 13%

and 10% CAGR respectively for the period FY 03-13.

In the last five years, the passenger handling capacity of airports in

India has risen from 72 million to 233 million. This capacity growth has been possible because

of the proactive step taken by the government and the private sector. India is poised to be

among top three aviation markets by 2020, from its ninth position currently.

Investments worth 50 billion USD envisaged

Key highlights of the expected investment over the next five years are mentioned below:

1. Airlines: Indian carriers plan to increase their fleet size to reach 800 aircrafts by 2020

2. Airports: Private operators expected to contribute more than three-fourth of the

investment in next 5 years ;including investment in cargo handling and other non-aero

infrastructure

3. ATC: Investments in CNS / ATM/ Meteorology equipment up gradation;

augmentation of training infrastructure, induction of satellite navigation GAGAN

(GPS aided geo-augmented navigation) to harmonize with leading global initiatives as

SESAR and NextGen

4. General Aviation: USD 4.3 billion investment planned to augment the GA

infrastructure.300business jets, 300 small aircrafts and 250 helicopters expected to be

added to the current fleet in next 5 years.

Expected investment in Aviation Industry of India ($ Billion) 2012-2017

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Passenger Traffic Growth: -

In FY13, Indian aviation industry witnessed a contraction in passenger

traffic, due to combination of general slowdown in the economy and high prices of air tickets.

The total passenger traffic in FY2013 was l59 million as compared to 162 million in FY2012.

Despite the contraction in domestic air traffic, international traffic to and from India has been

strong, growing at a GAGR 9% between FY2010 and 2013. According to MoCA, overall air

traffic is expected to grow at an annual average growth rate of 10.1percent in this decade.

Domestic traffic is expected to grow at 11.4 Percent and international traffic is expected to grow

at 9.5percent for the next ten years.

It has been observed that during economic upswing, airline traffic grows

roughly around twice the rate of growth of GDP. The following figures display the trend of

scheduled passengers and cargo during the last decade. The recession caused by the Global

Financial Crisis in 200g has led to a negative growth in both passenger as well as cargo traffic.

Growth in passenger traffic (millions) handled at Indian airports, 2008-2013

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Cargo Traffic Growth: -

The total cargo throughout for the FY13 was 2.19 mmtpa as compared

2.3 mmtpa in Fy2012. While the domestic cargo traffic has increased by 7.2% CAGR from

FY06 to FY13, international cargo traffic has grown by CAGR of 6.2% over the same period.

Growth in air cargo volume (million tons) at Indian Airports,

2008-13

The corresponding number of air traffic movements (ATMs) has been as displayed in

following graph.

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Increasing share of low cost carriers in the Indian market

The airline landscape in India has transformed radically in recent

years. In 2003, there were just 4 carriers - Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air

Sahara, all operating full service models. The private carriers in those days were limited to

operating domestic routes only. In 2013, there are five airlines namely - Air India, Jet Airways

(including Jet Lite), IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir. All carriers except GoAir fly on international

routes.

The most significant development in the Indian domestic market is

the growing dominance of the low-cost carrier model, which in FY 2013 accounted for almost

70 percent of the domestic capacity. Some full service carriers plan to shift more seats to their

low cost offerings in line with market trends.

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Market share of key domestic airlines (October-2013)

Thus, overall the sector outlook is promising. However certain progressive policy decisions

by the government are the need of the hour. These include:

a) Enhancing Regional Connectivity

b) Rationalization of ATF taxes

c) Elimination of discriminatory taxation policy for domestic MRO players

d) Segregation of ANS functions from AAI

e) Abolition of the 5/20 Rule

f) Human Resource Development

Page 22: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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Unlocking the Indian Aviation Sector

Enhancing regional connectivity: -

The growth of civil aviation in India has not led to a homogenous

increase in air connectivity. Despite the doubling of the passenger traffic over the last five

years, several Tier 2/3 cities are unconnected or underserved by airlines.

With the existing economic centres reaching a saturation point,

business activities are bound to move to newer destinations. Air connectivity to these new

economic centres will not only provide a fillip to the local economy but also bring in

incremental traffic to existing airports.

Analysis of ATMs operated in 21 leading states of India vis-a-vis

total state population and total passenger flown is stated in the figure below. It highlights the

disparity in air connectivity especially in North, East and North East regions of India.

Distribution of population, passengers & ATMs across all Indian States,

2012-2019

Page 23: Indian aviation Industry 2014

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Air connectivity: -

Most places in North-East India are inaccessible due to inadequate road/rail facilities. The only

viable means of transportation in many areas is by air: The flight frequency per week available

to and from 9 airports in the North-Eastern Region by domestic scheduled carriers is shown in

the figure below:

Air connectivity across North Eastern States,

(2012 - 2013 vs. 2013 - 2014)

From the above figure, this has been observed that the leading airports in the North East airport

are experiencing nearly double the frequency in FY 2014 as compared to the previous year.

Dimapur, Jorhat and Shillong are still underserved. Data reveals that Air India, Jet Airways

and Indigo aggressively expanding their services to North East.

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Regulations for Regional Airlines: -

DGCA has laid down separate guidelines to operate regional

air transport service in India. Although many airlines received a no-objection certificate from

the government to operate regional services in the past few years, none of them have been

able to take-off. Paramount, MDLR and Air Mantra are some examples. Air taxi operator

Ventura is Struggling and Deccan Shuttles closed down within months of starting.

The recently launched Air Costa Connects southern cities like

Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Vijayawada to Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Some more

regional carriers are on the way.

MoCA has held interactions with industry stakeholders in the

past regarding relaxation on some of the DGCA norms and the existing route dispersal

guidelines (see box below).

The Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG), introduced in 1994,

make it mandatory for domestic scheduled carriers to deploy a certain proportion of their

capacity to regional and remote airports. These guidelines are being revised. MoCA is also

evaluating a seat-trading system which will allow domestic carriers to do code shares with

regional airlines and use the credits thereof to meet their RDG obligations.

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Excess supply v/s lower demand: -

Regional airports suffer from underutilization of existing resources. These include the

following.

Underutilized parking bays

Indian airports allocate parking stands to cater to all types of aircrafts. These airports provide

customized bay to park Boeing, Airbus and ATR aircrafts according to their width and size.

The chart below illustrates the underutilization of the parking stands for the airports in 2013.

Number of parking boys utilized and vacant at airports with watch

hours of 24 hours IST 2Ol3

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Runways

The minimum runway length in most of the Indian regional or remote airports varies between

1"400 meters to 1700 meters which are capable of handling 40-70 seater aircrafts. Around

eight non-metro airports have a runway length of more than 2300 meters which is sufficient

to handle narrow body aircrafts like A320s and B737s. Around ten non-metro airports have

night landing facility. A20-40 seater aircraft can operate at most of the existing regional

airports. However, as can be seen from the figure below many of these airstrips are either non-

operational or grossly underutilized. They require monetary, fiscal and policy support till they

achieve self-sufficiency.

Maintenance, repair and overhaul services

The unused apron and hangers at regional airports cab be utilized in providing Maintenance,

Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services to airlines. The Airworks facility at Hosur Airport is

one such example. Indian carriers today send their entire fleet out of India at a high cost.

Supported with the favorable fiscal policies, the same MRO facilities can be set up in India

over 5-8 year period. It would be win-win for airlines, regional airports and the local economy.

This requires deep foresight on part of the state governments.

Analysis of fleet and airport infrastructure in regional and

remote routes

Fleet Analysis: -

Indian domestic scheduled carriers operate ATR, Bombardier and Embraer aircrafts on

regional routes. Till date, there are less than 50 small and medium sized aircrafts in India with

seating capacity between 40-100 seats. The major players flying regional routes are Jet

Airways with ATR 72-500 and Air India with their ATR 42-300 aircrafts. SpiceJet introduced

Bombardier Q-400 aircrafts for flying regional routes. Indigo and GoAir operate their A320s

on regional routes.

Air India Regional with its four Bombardier CRJ700s has been the country's only operator of

regional jets so far. Paramount Airways had used jets earlier on regional routes but could not

continue. Air Costa started serving regional routes in October 2013 with Embraer jets.

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Analyzing the opportunity at airports

Due to the congested nature of and high airport charges in metro airports, there is an

opportunity to consider non-metro airports as hubs for new or existing carriers. For instance

the new airline Air Costa is headquartered in Vijayawada and plans to set up an MRO facility

there in future.

Cost advantages of regional routes

Operating regional routes attract various cost advantages on operational, regulatory and

infrastructure front. Regional aircrafts, in general, have a low break-even seat factor and have

a shorter turnaround time due to their smaller size. Indian carriers with aircraft weight below

40 MT are exempt from paying navigation and airport charges. No landing charges are

applicable for aircraft less than 80 seats. The landing and parking charges at Category II and

Category II airports (including non-defense airports in North-East Region, Jammu & Kashmir;

Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep) is reduced by 25 per cent of the current rate

for domestic scheduled airlines. For an airline operating between 2200 and 0600 hrs, the night

parking charges are 50 percent of the existing parking charges at all airports except Chennai

and Kolkata.

Choice of aircraft for regional air connectivity is the key

As the air travel demand in remote and regional areas is currently low these markets may

require limited frequencies and small sized aircrafts. Deploying larger aircrafts on these routes

may result in losses. One option is to maintain a fleet of two aircraft sizes and alter the fleet

mix based on the market response. The downside is the additional cost of maintaining separate

crews, spares and maintenance infrastructure. In the Indian scenario, on an average, an aircraft

(with seating capacity more than 70) operating around 1l--12 hours day is considered to be

well utilized. The operating hours may reduce while operating a small type of aircraft on the

regional routes due to factors such as airport infrastructure, navigational aids, night flying

facilities, weather patterns and runway operational hours, etc.

Slot allocation

Since regional carriers operate on a different business model, it becomes imperative to study

the slot allocation parameters in advance. There have been extensive competitions between

Indian carriers to get their preferred time slot that may affect regional carriers' ability to add

frequencies, especially to metro airports. Airports prefer larger aircrafts since the airport tariffs

are linked to the size of the aircrafts.

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Prior to 2007, the slots were allocated according to the International Air Transport Association

(ATA) scheduling guidelines. However certain amendments in the policy have been made and

are likely to be implemented soon.

The new policy gives preference for slot allocation to airlines:

a) With better On-Time performance record

b) Consistency in utilization of slots

c) Clean payment record of an airline with no dues certificate

d) Priority to airline with new frights to connect new stations

e) Priority to airline flying within restricted “watch hour”

MoCA should consider reserving some slots during peak hours for regional carriers under the

category “Priority to airline with new flights to connect new stations”.

Developing own regional aircraft

Owing to the growing regional sector demand, India is realizing the need to develop an

indigenous Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA), a la Brazil and China. RTA-70 aircraft is an

initiative by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and National Aerospace Laboratories

(NAL). Care should be taken that the best talents of India’s private sector are leveraged in a

spirit of PPP, a la the successful space program of ISRO. Care should also be taken that no

wheels are reinvented and we utilize key aircraft parts and technologies that have already been

perfected are available off-the-shelf at a reasonable price. Development of an indigenous low

cost RTA would certainly provide a great fillip to regional aviation in India.

Airport Development Initiative

There are various Initiative taken by MoCA and AAI for the development of

airports in remote areas.

a) Development of 15 low cost airports has been approved by MoCA.

b) AAI has carried out upgradation of 31 non-operational airports in the last four years.

c) Operations and Maintenance of six brown-field airports has been planned to be handed

over to private players on a PPP basis. Of the six brown-field airports, four of them are

non-metro airports.

d) Another 14 airports of AAI are being planned to be handed over to private operators.

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State government initiatives

Various state governments are realizing the importance of aviation and are taking proactive

measures of provide fiscal, monetary and policy support. Some of the reform steps undertaken

as follows:

A. West Bengal: State government has announced 0% VAT an ATF at Bagdogra and

Durgapur airports and 15% VAT on additional flights starting from Kolkata Airport.

West Bengal is the only state to have 0% VAT at regional airports and 15% VAT on a

metro project. Other states are expected air connectivity in their respective states.

B. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra: They have set up a dedicated aviation agency

with objective of promoting intra-state air connectivity in their respective state.

C. Maharashtra: With its dedicated agency Maharashtra Air Development Corporation

(MDMC), Maharashtra is in the process of developing five Greenfield airports in the

state.

D. Gujarat: Formed Aviation Turbine Fuel Trading Company to cut down import parity,

marketing expenses, creating a price advantage for aviation activities in Gujarat.

E. Karnataka: Drafted a Civil Aviation plan to develop the low cost airstrips and Helipads

in the state.

F. Odisha and Jharkhand: Reduced VAT on ATF to 5% and 4% respectively.

G. Madhya Pradesh: Entered into a Seat underwriting arrangement with Non-scheduled

operators to enhance the viability of their operations. Reduced VAT on ATF to 5%.

H. Chhattisgarh: Offered exemption of landing and parking charges on the conditional

operations of flights as per the published schedule. Reduced VAT on ATF to 4 %

Regional connectivity in India-way forward

Many Indian states have started taking pro-active measures to promote air

connectivity in their states. Their initiatives are largely in the field of development of airports,

reduction in VAT on ATF, promotion of flying school and provision of subsidies in airlines.

States have gradually realized that reduction in airlines’ operation costs is the only way to

incentivize the airlines to serve their states.

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The actions required to enhance regional connectivity are:

a) State governments have to pray a vital role: state governments need to take the

initiative in the field of development of low cost airports, provision of multi-modal

connectivity to the airport and promotion of flying schools, etc.

Suggested measures to be undertaken by state Governments to facilitate promotion of regional

air connectivity in their states:-

Formation of an independent department for civil aviation

Zero rating of VAT on ATF

Underwriting seats on new routes

Provide security and fire services by local police and fire stations necessary subject to

approvals from Bureau of Civil Aviation security (BCAS) and DGCA.

Make provisions of rand and extension of roads & utilities (power and water

connections) for development of low-cost airports.

Waive off stamp duty, property tax, and electricity duty for a 10 year period.

b) Reduction of sales tax on ATF: since Airline Turbine Fuel (ATF) accounts for 40-

50o/o of an airline operating cost, reduction of sales tax on ATF is considered to be one of

the most critical needs of the aviation industry. As discussed earlier many states have already

done this. Larger states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

need to do this on priority, else the ATF uplift will shift to other states anyways.

c) Helipad development throughout the country: Helicopter operation are a cost

effective mode of providing air connectivity. Efforts should be made to develop, heliports in

every district of the country. Heliports can come in handy during natural or man-made

disasters. This may be done through the PPP route in collaboration with other ministries like

home, defence, industry and tourism.

d) Development of low cost airports: The next generation of aviation growth in India

is expected to be triggered by regional airports. At present, there are around 450 used/ un-

used abandoned airports and airstrips spread all over the country. About 225 of them are

owned by state Governments or by private operators. Efforts must be undertaken to activate

these airports through PPP, subject to their long term finance viability.

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e) Relaxation on regulation to operate regional air services: As per Directorate

General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines, Indian carriers looking to commerce regional

air services have to undertake operations in one of the designated regions- north, south, west

or rest/northeast. They are allowed to operate between two metro cities, except in the southern

region. This policy needs to be liberalized.

f) Revising the security service requirement: The regulations laid down by MoCA

and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BACS) for the 24 hours of airport security service for

regional airports should be reviewed in order to reduce the operating expenses of smaller

airports. Physical deployment of security guards can be replaced with CCTV based smart

security.

g) Essential Air Services Fund (EASF): The proposed EASF by MoCA needs to be

implemented which can boost tourism and promote tier-2 and tier-3 air connectivity. Greater

private sector investment in airports should be encouraged instead of rerouting heavy fees

collected from privately operated airports for other government operated airports.

h) Code sharing concept to be introduced: Concept of code sharing should be

introduced between regional/ non-scheduled operators and scheduled airlines that will allow

the airlines to leverage each-other's network and marketing strengths. This also prevents

wastage of costly ATF when large aircrafts of scheduled airlines operate on regional routes

with low seat factors, just in order to meet their obligations under RDG.

i) Slot allocation: During slot allocation, slots should be reserved for small aircrafts flying

from regional destinations.

j) Route dispersal guidelines to be restructured: Regional carriers are not permitted

to operate on category-l routes. Further these carriers are not able to operate during night time

at regional airports that lack night landing facilities. This policy needs to be reviewed in order

to ensure higher aircraft utilization per day by regional airlines.

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International best practices to promote regional and remote area

connectivity:

In most of the leading aviation markets, air connectivity is promoted by the Government.

Some of the best practices followed are as follows:

a) Supporting airlines by sharing risks to add a new destination to their flight

routes

By providing incentives to the airline for adding new destinations to their routes. These

payments are made by the beneficiary airport operator or the government under a Route

Development Fund (RDF) mechanism

Payment to carriers for marketing the destination (e.g. Singapore Airlines promoting

Australia as a tourism destination).

Offering discounts on airport charges (Indian airports do this).

By sharing demand related uncertainties and providing guarantee for a certain number

of seats per flight.

b) Providing regulatory mechanism to boost regional connectivity

Providing restrictions on number of operators on particular routes

Making it mandatory for airline operators to provide capacity on low traffic routes and

providing them rights to operate on trunk routes in exchange (India does this).

Promoting regional air connectivity through a combination of regulated and deregulated

routes as done in Western Australia.

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Rationalizing Taxes

It is a well-known fact that the Indian aviation industry is overtaxed and this is being reflected

in the industry’s lack of competitiveness on the global level. The proactive steps being taken

by several progressive state governments on the VAT front have been highlighted earlier.

The 12.36% Service Tax on air tickets and services that airlines purchase such as landing and

air navigation, contravenes global norms and handicaps the Indian industry. Domestic fuel

(Aviation Turbine Fuel) attracts 8.24% excise duty and in addition to this state taxes may go

up to 30%. Globally, fuel accounts for around 34% of an airline's cost. In India, the additional

taxes and duties bring up this percentage around 45%.

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It is important for India to acknowledge the devastating impact of high taxes. Most domestic

airlines have become loss making ventures and the high cost of connectivity would impose

a penalty in the form of rower growth of economy and employment.

Some of the avoidable taxes/charges that need immediate attention are as follows;

a) Service tax on tickets as well as lending and navigation charges.

b) Taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel - an excise duty of 8.2% (The average fuel cost is

around 45o/o for Indian carriers which is well above the global average of 33%).

c) Domestic/state charges (20-3oo/o).

d) Taxes on MRO

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Redesigning the regulatory landscape:

In 2009, Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) was set up to determine the tariff

of aeronautical services at major airports, passenger fees to be levied and monitor service

standards. As per the AERA Act 2008, major airports have been defined as the airports

which have or are designated to have an annual passenger throughput of more than one and

a half million. Currently, 15 major airports are under the ambit of the AERA.

However, these are a few fundamental gaps in the functioning of the AERA. While it has

the authority to fix the tariff for major airports, its charter does not mandate it to create an

enabling environment for investment in airport infrastructure. Also the non-major airports

which are not under the purview of AERA, do not currently have any policy for economic

regulation. Hence, the Government has to come up with a philosophy of tariff regulation at

these airports, in order to balance the interest of passengers and investors.

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The way forward for the Indian regulatory landscape:

There are different perspectives on economic regulation of airports in India. This is mainly due

to a wide diversity in the airports. While uniformity of policy is necessary to create a level

playing field, it may be noted that each type of airport has unique challenges associated with

it. It is therefore necessary to develop a regulatory approach that addresses these unique

challenges while ensuring financial viability of the airport and public interest. The regulatory

philosophy should encourage the world's best airport developers to invest in India's airports.

Regulatory uncertainties and excessive focus on tariff cutting discourages investors. Excessive

profit booking by investors leads to adverse reactions from users and society at largely may

also jeopardize India's aspiration to become a leading aviation hub.

While airports can be treated as monopoly assets from a geographical perspective, global

experience shows that airports cannot charge tariff to the passenger at their will. The

profitability of airports comes from traffic volumes and the origin-destination traffic does not

suffice. Airports compete with each other to become a preferred hub for transfer and transit

passengers. This gives them additional landing and parking charges, passenger fees and

revenues from retail sales.

Thus, while proposing the regulatory approach for airports, the impact of market forces cannot

be ignored. If airports charge excessively and create an adverse impact on the passenger

throughput, airlines may reduce or stop their flights to the said airport, putting the significant

investments to risk. Companies may cut down on corporate travel and use alternative

approaches like video conferences, etc. Airport owners are cognizant of this threat.

Further, to reduce the impact of the aeronautical charges, the airport operator should undertake

all possible mitigating measures, like lean capital expenditure, lower operating costs,

exploitation of the non-aeronautical revenue streams and enhanced benefits to the airlines and

air passengers in order to achieve higher aeronautical revenue.

According to the ICAO, the regulatory approach for airports should derive from the specific

objectives and situation of each nation. Therefore, India's policy framework for airports should

be aligned to the country's vision of becoming the third largest aviation market by 2020. There

is need for a stable, transparent, predictable and investor-friendly regulatory regime with a

mechanism for time-bound resolution of issues to create a sense of certainty in the sector.

India needs to consider tariff determination on case to case basis. Application of single till

system at an airport may hurt its financial viability and may discourage investments in airport

infrastructure. on the other hand, applying the dual till approach to the airports may not be fair

to passengers who do contribute to non-aeronautical. Revenues accruing from retail,

advertising, car parking, etc.

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The hybrid till approach, therefore, appears to be the best suited for India. The extent of cross

subsidization (e.g. 30% in case of Delhi and Mumbai Airports) of aeronautical expenses by

non-aeronautical revenue can be determined through discussions between stakeholders.

Supporting the MRO Industry

India's current MRO market size is estimated to be around USD 700 million. By 2020, the total

Indian fleet would double in number, making it critical to have a strong domestic MRO

industry. As per Boeing, the market is expected to grow at 7% CAGR for the next 8 years to

reach USD L.5 billion by 2020. The figure below shows the break-up of the MRO market in

India. Engine overhaul is the largest segment of the MRO market.

The Indian MRO industry is facing significant challenges which are slowing down the growth

of this industry. Some of these factors include un-friendly taxation structure cumbersome

procedures for import of components and movement of foreign experts, and inadequate

infrastructure.

According to industry 5-10% of the MRO work for domestic scheduled carriers is carried out

in India and most of the maintenance activity work is outsourced to third-party service providers

outside the country. This marks a lack of competitiveness in the Indian MRO sector.

It is critical that both the taxation and policy related bottlenecks are thoroughly examined and

addressed to put the Indian MRO industry on a high growth trajectory. One main issue that

needs to be tackled on an urgent basis are the unnecessary taxes on the industry which drive

down the domestic MRO industry's competitiveness and reduce investors' interest in it.

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Rationalize value Added Tax (VAT) and Service Tax on MRO

MRO is critical to the growth of the aviation sector in India. It generates employment, revenue

and government taxes. A close collaboration between the government, airlines, airports and

the MRO industry would be crucial for addressing the high taxation in the form of VAT and

Service Tax along with other policy level issues. The following chart addresses some of these

key issues surrounding high taxation of the MRO industry in India.

Key issues surrounding high taxation of the MRO industry in India

The actions required to make India a global MRO hub are as follows:

a) Elimination of discriminatory taxation policy for domestic MRO players: Due to discriminatory tax policy, Indian MRO players have to suffer an additional tax burden

of nearly 40%o over foreign MROs. These are in terms of import duties, VAT and service tax.

This has led to a strange situation. India carriers prefer to fly their aircrafts and crew at a high

cost to other MRO locations like Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka etc., since it still works

out to be more cost-effective than doing the repairs in India.

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There is an urgent need for rationalization of this anomalous taxation policy that has only

weakened India's competitiveness as an aviation hub.

b) Abolishing of import duties for spare parts: Due to high import duties, (not

applicable to foreign MROs) local MROs are not able to maintain an inventory of key spare

parts. This, at times, leads to Indian aircrafts being grounded for longer periods. Abolition or

reduction of import duties for spare parts will cut short the timelines for servicing the aircrafts.

c) Treatment as import substitution: Given that the aerospace and MRO industry in

India is in its infancy, and that there is a heavy dependence of Indian carriers on MROs in

foreign countries, the domestic MRO industry should be supported as a means of import

substitution. For instance, manufacturing of power sector equipment for domestic industry is

treated as deemed exports and receives significant tax benefits.

d) Impetus on MRO joint ventures: The Government should incentivize airlines to

consider setting up their dedicated MRO hubs in India through three-way joint ventures with

MRO service providers and airport operators. This assures sustained business for the venture

as well as cost advantage for the airlines.

e) Streamlining of licensing and security clearance procedures: According to

industry players, receiving approvals for an MRO establishment is extremely challenging.

Currently the license is given out as a ground handler instead of a MRO player which suggest

that the authorities are not distinguishing between these two very distinct services.

In case of urgent of a grounded aircraft, requiring foreign specialists to be flown in at short

notice, the amount of time taken for getting security clearance for such experts is highly time

consuming. Their late arrival causes significant losses for the airlines since the opportunity cost

of a grounded aircraft is extremely high. There is an urgent need to streamline clearance

procedures so that there is a reasonable balance between business exigencies and security

considerations.

Corporatization of Air Navigation Services (ANS)

India has been amongst one of the countries experiencing fastest growing aviation market and

is expected to be amongst the top three aviation markets globally by the end of this decade. As

mentioned in the preceding sections, the number of aircraft movement at Indian airports in FY

2OL2-2013 was around 1.77 million, which is more than double the number of aircraft

movement in FY2002-03.

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The navigation infrastructure on the ground has not been able to keep pace with the growing

number of aircraft movements putting ANS under considerable pressure. Immediate actions

are critical to ensure safe operations in the Indian skies. ANS needs to augment capacity along

with technology, training and efficiency improvements.

Focused attention is required to address this situation. AAI today handles a dual responsibility

of ANS along with airport management. Segregating ANS functions into an independent

corporate entity (ANS Corporation of India or ‘ANSCI’) is a critical requirement. This would

also be in line with standards of International Civil Aviation Organization (lCAO) which states

that the primary objectives of ANS and airport operators are different and that ANS functions

should be vested with an independent organization to achieve increased efficiency and reduced

cost.

Segregation of AAI and ANS enable the specialized functions of airport operations and air

navigation to be handled by two independent organizations. The two organizations would have

well-defined focus on their respective functions and facilitate timely, strategic, operational and

financial decisions. AAI with its key focus area of airport development and operations would

also be able to focus more effectively on enhancing operational quality at existing airports and

developing greater regional

Abolition of 5/20 Rule

Current rules require Indian carriers to be in operation for at least five years and have a fleet

of 20 aircrafts to be eligible to fly on international routes. This is informally known as the

"5/20 Rule".

The 5/20 Rule is an anachronistic, discriminatory and anti-competition policy that the industry

has been opposing for the last several years. This rule works against the interest of Indian

carriers. Today, a one day old airline registered abroad with a one aircraft fleet can fly into

India with no entry barriers. Its removal will add to the attractiveness of the Indian aviation

sector.

Abolishing the rule will allow domestic airlines to utilize their aircrafts during the night time

on foreign routes rather than parking them at Indian airports and incurring parking charges.

This way a liability converts into an opportunity to enhance revenues and profits.

Some Indian carriers in the past acquired other carriers in order to get around the 5/20 rule,

resulting in severe financial challenges to themselves.

According to media reports, MoCA has requested the union Cabinet to abolish this

discriminatory rule.

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Review of bilateral seat quotas

The bilateral airline seat quotas have their origin in the Chicago Convention of 1944, when

shattered economies needed protectionist policies. Today, seven decades later we need to

question the very relevance of bilateral quotas when we are trying to make India an aviation

and tourism hub. Foreign tourist arrivals in India are an abysmal 7 million per year despite an

unlimited bounty of natural, religious and cultural attractions. Small economy like Singapore

gets L4 million foreign tourists per annum, Malaysia 25 million and China 58 million.

MoCA should consider having an 'open skies policy' for a five year experimental period,

extendable by another five. We can always roll it back unilaterally in case we see 'havoc' being

created. India itself signed an open skies agreement with USA in 2005 giving unlimited seat

quotas to each other. That didn't lead to US carriers decimating Indian carriers. Air India and

Jet do fly to US airports as many times as they want.

If we don't have open skies, then every time we negotiate seat quotas with a foreign country

wanting to introduce more flights to India, allegations fly thick and fast. India's national

interests are better served by having multiple and cheap air connections to India a la the Gulf

and ASEAN region, than by artificially constraining flights into India.

Various sectors that we have opened up, we have seen quality standards improve and prices

fall. Indian companies in turn became world class and many have now started acquiring large

global brands. It's time to question old dogmas and enhance our belief in ourselves. Due to

fears of dirt-cheap fares being introduced by global carriers with sovereign support, there are

enough anti-competition and anti-dumping provisions that can impose effective checks and

balances.

Addressing shortages in skilled manpower

The growth in Indian aviation has created significant employment opportunities. However the

supply of skilled human resources has not kept pace with the rapid growth in demand. With

passengers and aircraft fleet likely to double by 2020, the need to strengthen the human

resource development infrastructure is immediate.

As per KPMG estimates, the total manpower requirement of airlines is estimated to rise from

62000 in FY-2011 to 1l7,000 by FY-20L7. This includes the number of pilots, cabin crew,

aircrafts engineers and techniques (MRO), ground handling staff, cargo handling staff,

administrative and sales staff. This is based on benchmarks provided by ICAO for different

classes of personnel (pilot, cabin crew, etc.) per aircraft.

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Workforce requirements estimates for Indian Aviation sector, 2011-2017

Foreign carriers have begun to warm up to the opening up of 49% FDI in Indian Airlines but

remain skeptical due to the heavy taxation prevalent in the industry. It is estimated that Indian

aviation will need about 350,000 new employees to facilitate growth in the next decade.

Shortfalls in skilled labor could create safety issues and may see staff salaries' rise.

Robust training programs will be the key to a sustainable future, especially considering that

India will probably continue to provide a significant workforce for foreign carriers. This will

also require further capital expenditure.

The aviation industry is believed to generate indirect and induced employment of nearly six

times the direct employment. With direct employment across airports and airlines to be around

150,000 by FY 20L7, the aviation sector in India is expected to provide an indirect and

induced employment to around L million people by FY 17.

The recent downgrade of India to Category II by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a

stinging example of how lack of trained manpower can undo the good work being done to

strengthen our aviation sector

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Key steps that need to be undertaken to address the shortage of

human capital include the following:

a) Encourage foreign investment in training facilities for pilots, engineers, managers and

ground staff.

b) Degrees issued by leading academies in western countries should be made acceptable in

India, subject to adequate background checks by DGCA.

c) Collaborate with Indian Air Force (IAF) to identify training infrastructure that can be put to

use for civil aviation.

d) Give immediate priority to training and capacity building of Air Traffic Controller officers

(ATCOs). Partnership options with international ATC training institutes should be explored to

enhance capacity of civil Aviation Training College (CATC). The enhanced capacity can also

help CATC, in the long run, to earn additional revenue by training foreign ATCOs.

e) Consider the option of allowing private players to set up ATCO training facilities, subject to

adequate supervision by AAI. This may be started in a PPP mode first and thereafter be made

fully open to private sector in the long run.

f) The current plan for development of National Aviation University (NAU) is a significant

leap forward in the development of human capital in this sector Effort should be made to fast-

track the project and replicate the concept at 3-4 locations across the country.

g) MoCA should liaise with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for skill

development programs in the aviation sector especially in areas like ground handling and MRO.

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Innovative IT interventions

Indian Airport IT Infrastructure in the Pipeline

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The Way Forward

The Indian civil aviation industry is on a high growth path. India has a vision of becoming the

third largest aviation market by 2020 and the largest aviation market by 2030.

In order to become a top aviation market, all round improvements are required-in airports, air

navigation, cargo, MRO and human resource development. India would need to broaden the

base of domestic flyers. Air connectivity in Tier 2/3 cities needs to be developed and the

proposed EASF would help partly address the financing challenges. Government policies and

regulatory framework need to be futuristic, proactive and aligned to stakeholder expectations.

In summary, the key initiatives to be undertaken by the government include the following:

a) Enhancing Regional Connectivity: In India, air travel is still being looked upon as an

'elite' mode of travel and has not permeated across the nearly 400 million strong middle class

sections. There is a need for the government and industry to work together and bring down

ticket costs and hence making air travel affordable for middle class population. The revolution

in the Indian telecom sector converting a perceived 'elite' product to a mass product is an

inspiration for the civil aviation industry.

Given the mandatory fixed costs and lower traffic, the financial viability of Tier 2/3 airports is

a concern. There is a greater need to come up with a 'No-Frills Airport‘(NFA) model without

compromising on safety and security to support regional connectivity.

b) Policy changes on ATF pricing: Allowing direct import of ATF is a positive step but

the best solution would be for the Government of India to notify ATF under the 'declared goods‘

category with a uniform application of 4% sales tax. The other option for progressive states is

to unilaterally bring down VAT on ATF in the range of 0%o-5o/o. The benefits in terms of

increased air traffic, greater economic activity and employment creation could create a virtuous

cycle.

c) Reforms regarding policy and regulations: There are certain key areas where there

is a diversion of opinion between the AERA and the private airport operators. This is likely to

affect the investor sentiment when we go for other airport projects in the country - e.g. the USD

3 billion Navi Mumbai International Airport. There is need for a stable, transparent, predictable

and investor-friendly regulatory regime with a mechanism for time-bound resolution of issues

to create a sense of certainty in the sector.

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d) Elimination of discriminatory taxation policy for domestic MRO players: Due to discriminatory tax policy, Indian MRO players have to suffer an additional tax burden

of nearly 2O%-3O% over foreign MROs. These taxes in the form of import duties (after the

12 month free period), VAT and service tax should be rationalized to make the MRO industry

viable in India. This will help bring back all the revenue' Foreign exchange and jobs that we

have unfortunately pushed out of the country

e) Segregation of ANS functions from AAI: ANS functions should be segregated from

AAI. This would enable both AAI and ANS perform their duties in a more efficient and

effective manner. This would also be in line with the global best practices and the findings of

many government-appointed committees.

f) Abolition of 5/20 Rule: There are sufficient checks and balances to ensure safe

operations of airline. The 5/20 rule is an impediment in the growth plans of our domestic

airlines and needs to be abolished immediately.

g) Human Resource Development: As the sector is growing, the need to enhance our

training and skill enhancement infrastructure becomes critical. MoCA and the industry need to

work closely. India could actually become an exporter of talent one day.

h) Encouraging global airport acquisition by Indian companies: Indian

companies are increasingly winning bids for airport development and operations

internationally. The government must overtly and covertly support such efforts. Such global

enhance the prestige of India’s aviation sector and create opportunities for other Indian

companies.

i) Provisioning of all-weather operations and night landing facilities: A joint

effort between government and the industry can facilitate all all-weather operations and night

landing at airports. This would provide impetus for greater tourist traffic and development of

air-connectivity especially to hilly regions. This would also help enhance the flying hours of

aircrafts that might be busy on trunk routes during normal hours.

j) Evolve innovative funding solution: Given the risk, lenders are cautious when issuing

long term debt to airport operators. Financial support, especially for developers and airlines

serving tier 2/3 cities, is critical. Following ideas can be evaluated:

Allowing airport companies to issue tax free infrastructure bonds

Allowing ECB limits for the sector

Creating an Essential Air Services Fund (EASF) to support air access to Tier 2/3 cities.

This could be on similar lines as the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in USA, or

the India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF) used to support other

infrastructure sectors in India

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k) Facilitation by government: A large number of institutional clearances are required

for airports. Support of the government would be absolutely vital for new airport projects. A

case in point is the National Facilitation committee headed by the cabinet secretary, which

played a key role in the timely completion of the modernization of Delhi Airport. Airports

are a part of a holistic infrastructure plan for the city and state as a whole. Airports have a

symbiotic relationship with trade and tourism opportunities in the airport's hinterland, as in,

each feeds off the other. The support from the state governments for the airport's success is

therefore vital.

l) Tax incentives: The following fiscal incentives need to be considered in order to

facilitate greater investments in the sector:

• The above measures by the government and industry stakeholders would provide a

strong launch pad for India infrastructure status and income tax exemption under

sector 80IA should be extended to brown-field expansion of airport business

• Benefit under schemes like 'Serve from India scheme' (SFIS) can be made available to

the airports

• Income tax exemption should be provided to the surplus of Passenger Service Fee -

Security Component (PSF-SC)

• Service tax should not be levied on Airport Development Fees as it is a capital receipt

and not a revenue receipt.

An aviation to target the next wave of growth and bring the country close to realizing its

vision to emerge as the largest aviation market by 2030.

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Bibliography

Following are the resources that I used in making of this

project:

www.google.com

www.wikipedia.com

KPMG Analysis

FICCI

Ministry of Civil Aviation Websites

Indian Express

Airport Authority of India

DGCA

Census 2011

http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/traffic_news.jsp

World Bank, FAA

Airbus Global Market Forecast

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THANK YOU