New civil aviation policy on the anvil

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet is likely to unveil a new civil aviation policy on Thursday, which, among other things, is expected to focus strongly on the restructuring of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), improving domestic and international air connectivity and reviewing FDI norms in the sector in order to encourage investments.

An earlier draft national civil aviation policy (NCAP) had strongly recommended the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines, which has already been put into motion. The NCAP contains a blueprint of the ministry's roadmap for the sector, and focuses on six thrust areas. The new policy is expected to look at air transport services; measures for enhancing affordability, airport infrastructure, safety regulations and civil aviation security.

The new policy is also expected to announce steps to revamp the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as well as providing an impetus for the promotion of regional airlines.