The Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, assured full support to entrepreneurs of small aircraft operators and helicopter services to expand their operations. In an ‘Advisory Group’ meeting, the Minister individually addressed regulatory and day-to-day operational concerns of each operator, and resolved to take action on the relevant suggestions put forth by the group.

Lauding them for their vital role in connecting Tier 2 and 3 cities under the UDAN scheme, he committed to enhance processes and approvals for participating operators. To that end, a special cell for helicopters and small aircraft will be envisaged, as and when the DGCA ramps up manpower capacities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, operators expressed their gratitude to Scindia for his timely interventions and responsiveness to their needs. They also extended their appreciation to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the successful implementation of the UDAN scheme, which has played a pivotal role in their emergence and growth within the market.

The meeting also was attended by General (Retd) Dr V.K. Singh, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation & Road Transport and Highways, Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and other senior officials from the DGCA, AAI, BCAS and MoCA.