Infrastructural Requirement for GA/BA Industry for Five Years

The growth of aviation infrastructure in India has, thus far, focussed mostly on the requirements of airlines. The smaller aircrafts, GA/BA industry, have so far not got the due attention of the airport planners. However, the fast growing Indian economy and, the need for air connectivity to every nook and corner of the country, for better individual efficiency, have brought into focus the need for dedicated infrastructure for smaller aircraft across the country. In most economically developed countries, municipalities of the towns / ‘small cities’ take care of the needs for smoothly operating GA/BA aircraft by developing smaller airports which are managed by ‘fixed base operators’ (FBOs). These FBOs provide for everything, including fuel / maintenance, for operations of smaller aircraft to these towns. FBOs have not been part of town planning in India, which is now leading to bottlenecks for air connectivity, especially for commercially viable routes to metros. The major airports, mostly at metros, in India presently are either at or near capacity in terms of total traffic and, there are critical shortages of available aircraft parking. These kinds of infrastructural issues would limit the growth of General & Business Aviation (GA/BA), which if not addressed immediately, would inhibit India’s plans to ultimately become a developed nation. There is a need for immediate and significant actions on part of Ministry of Civil Aviation, States and other government agencies to address the need for GA/BA infrastructure.

The Delhi IGI Airport has already taken initiative for providing specific infrastructure for smaller aircraft and FBO is likely to get commissioned at DIAL within the next one year. The construction of fourth runway at Delhi and, efficiency to be achieved through transparent system of ‘online slot allotment’, would lead to GA/BA industry getting its due share of infrastructural assets at nation’s capital. Mumbai’s CSIA has already reached saturation level and has serious congestion on its aprons. The plans for the second Navi Mumbai International Airport (NIMA) have recently shown definite forward movement. NIMA has plans to provide for specific GA/BA infrastructure as the need was recognised during the development of the Master Plan. Till NMIA is developed, CSIA would continue to face severe congestion on the apron having very limited parking for GA/BA aircraft. However, there is an immediate need to remove curfew timings presently being forced on GA/BAaircraft and move to more transparent / efficient ‘online slot allotment’ system. Both Bangaluru and Hyderabad international airports have adequate capacity to meet the current low demand for GA aircraft parking stands. It would be prudent for these two airport to adopt a visionary approach and soon plan for dedicated FBOs for GA/BA industry to meet the growing demand during the next five years and beyond.

At present, there are significant number of GA/BA aircraft at metro airports and this is likely to grow to connect big cities with smaller towns, directly. Therefore, at most metros additional GA/BA infrastructure is going to be needed. While the growth of GA/BA industry has suffered in the past due to various regulatory and taxation issues, it is a fact that there will be significant increase in the number of these aircraft in the country, given the massive push government is providing to growth of regional / remote connectivity through UDAN schemes. The latest UDAN III has focussed on connecting famous tourist places in India through subsidy being provided by Ministry of Tourism. This would require ground infrastructure to be planned in good time of 3-5 years so that capacity crunch is not causing congestion at existing airports. At smaller towns and places of tourists’ interest, GA/BA airports would have to be created or developed, mostly using the existing air strips.

Typical GA airports vary in size and quality of appropriate facilities / services provided at each. A simple airport could have a short runway – gravel or grass strip covered with preferably a dust suppressing coat to permit operations by a small turbo-prop aircraft, with a hangar that also serves as the administrative building for the passengers to use. The passengers can embark and disembark at an area near/in front of the administrative building. Mostly, this would be VFR, day time use only airport with little or no air traffic control, if number of flights are limited to single digit. However, with GAGAN being made operational by AAI, and fitment of matching receiver mandated by 2020, these small GA airports could be used in limited weather conditions due to small aircraft being enabled for CAT I operations. Such an air strip would cost less than five crores, which could be provided as part of UDAN schemes to AAI.

Author is Group Captain (Retd), IAF