Aviation Minister Scindia sets 100-days target, promises to open new airports and heliports

New Delhi, September 9 (Agency) Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday unveiled 100 days agenda promising to add airport capacity, open new heliports and convince states to lower tax on jetfuel. Addressing the media, Scindia said that four airports will be upgraded /developed in Kushinagar, Dehradun, Agartala and Jewar (Greater Noida). The Minister said that eight policy targets have been set for the next 100 days including setting up of new airports, six new heliports and starting 50 new routes under regional connectivity scheme UDAN. Scindia said the plan focuses on 16 areas of which eight relate to policy and four pertain to reforms. As per the 100-days plan, five airports would be operationalised under UDAN.

They include Keshod (Gujarat), Deoghar (Jharkhand), Gondia and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. Of the six heliports which are proposed to be operationalised include four in Himachal Pradesh and two in Uttarakhand. Stressing the need for lowering taxes on jetfuel, Scindia said that he had written letters to the Chief Ministers and Administrators of 22 states and Union Territories (UTs) for rationalisation of VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to 1-4 per cent. The Minister listed out various policy measures to make India global MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) hub.