Air taxis will soon be a reality in India: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the second Asia Pacific Civil Aviation Ministers Conference on September 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: X/@narendramodi

Air taxis will soon be “a reality in India”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing a conference of civil aviation Ministers in the Asia Pacific region.

“The day is not far when travel by air taxi will be a reality,” Mr. Modi said at the second Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation which is being hosted in India in collaboration with the UN’s aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organization. The conference concluded on Thursday with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration.

Earlier this week, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued airworthiness criteria for type certification of vertical take-off and landing capable aircraft (VCA). Last week, it had issued specifications for vertiports, a type of airports to be used by VCAs.

In his address, the Prime Minister spoke about the government’s UDAN scheme for improving air connectivity to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. He credited the scheme for making aviation “inclusive” in the country and pitched for creating a “network of opportunities” through aviation in the region and suggested the idea of an international Buddhist circuit.

The two-day conference, which started on Wednesday, brought together transport and aviation Ministers, regulatory bodies, and industry experts from across the Asia Pacific region. Around 300 representatives from 29 countries attended the conference.

Published – September 12, 2024 09:45 pm IST

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