The Indian Civil Aviation sector is witnessing a rapid expansion of fleet with the number of aircraft increasing from 400 in 2014 to 626 in 2022 and now reaching 644 in 2023. The number of aircraft on ground roughly stands at 140 from the point of view of the scheduled commercial airlines. Of this, 95 per cent of the aircrafts on ground are in their current position due to engine supplier Pratt and Whitney facing supply chain issues, Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
“We have been in direct touch with Pratt and Whitney and conveyed them that this situation is unacceptable, because air traffic in India is growing exponentially,” the Minister stated. He also informed the house that, as on March 2024, with the fleet induction of almost 2 to 5 aircraft per month, the number will increase to 686. There are also other efforts on ground by Government to save time of passengers during security check at airports by increasing security equipment, security manpower and using advance technologies. Digi Yatra, which provides for seamless and hassle-free experience for passengers at airports through biometric-based travel using facial recognition technology has also been implemented at 13 airports and other airports will be covered in phased manner, Minister of State VK Singh informed the House. Moreover, with the swift operationalization of new airports in the country, there has been a corresponding rise in the demand for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and to meet the escalating demand adequately, 796 new ATCO positions have been instituted across different levels since 2022.
The requirement for additional ATCO positions is regularly assessed and in accordance with the approval of the Department of Public Enterprises, new positions are established.
