Aviation sector regulator may be in place by October: MCA official
10 Apr 2008
New Delhi: An independent regulator for the aviation sector may be in place by October this year, according to a senior official of the civil aviation ministry. "The regulator would be in place by October this year. The matter is already before the parliament," joint secretary, KN Srivastava told reporters on the sidelines of the 'Aerodrome India 2008' summit here.
According to Srivastava, the matter was referred to a standing committee by the parliament and was scheduled to be discussed during the second half of the Budget session when the recommendations of the steering committee would be made available.
Srivastava said once the parliament cleared the proposal, it would take about three months to set up the regulator. The regulator would look into various issues such as aeronautical charges, user development and passenger fees, and others.
Srivastava also said that a policy for greenfield airports would also be announced shortly, which would seek to minimise delays faced by developers in getting approvals. He said that the policy was under consideration of the cabinet and was expected to be announced sometime this month.
According to Srivastava, the government would soon come out with a Vision Document 2020 intended for the aviation sector, which would contain plans for airport infrastructure, connectivity, security and other related issues. The vision statement was currently being looked into by a Group of Ministers (GoM).
