Aviation needs $30 bn investment over 15 yrs: Secy

NEW DELHI: The aviation sector needs $30 billion worth of investment over the next 15 years to keep up with booming passenger and cargo traffic, Secretary Nasim Zaidi said on Friday.“We must have a long-term planning matched with a vibrant regulatory framework as Indian aviation has all the necessary ingredients to grow exponentially,” he said at an Assocham event.

Zaidi said 12 greenfield airports are currently being developed in different parts of the country, providing an opportunity to become a global hub for airlines. A total of 142 million passengers checked in and out of airports across the country during 2010-11, marking a growth of 15% over the previous year, he added.

Further, he said that state aviation secretaries will soon meet to provide inputs for toning up infrastructure. The industry also needs foreign investments to set up training institutes in various areas, especially to train air traffic controllers, Zaidi added.