Latest news with #7thHelicopter&SmallAircraftSummit
India Gazette
10 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Seventh helicopter, small aircraft summit held in Pune
New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in collaboration with the State Government of Maharashtra, Pawan Hans and FICCI, organised the 7th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit in Pune. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu presided as the Chief Guest, while Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol was the Guest of Honour. In his keynote address, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu shared his vision to promote helicopters and small aircraft as essential components of a futuristic aviation ecosystem. He stated, 'I believe the next decade of aviation will be defined not just by large aircraft and mega airports but by modern and inclusive air solutions. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, helicopters and small aircraft are at the heart of our mission to democratise flying.' The Minister announced the establishment of a dedicated Helicopter Directorate under the DGCA to provide single-window regulatory oversight, address helicopter-specific safety and certification issues, and assist operators with procedural requirements. He highlighted digital initiatives like the Heli Sewa Portal, which have streamlined operations and digitised processes such as route approvals and slot allocations, significantly enhancing transparency and efficiency. The summit also saw the award of RCS UDAN helicopter routes across various states. Speaking to operators and industry leaders, the Minister emphasised building a robust safety culture. He remarked, 'Safety of the pilgrims must remain our top priority--there can be no shortcuts, no room for communication errors and no margin for poor decision-making. We must build a culture of trust, dialogue and discipline, which I feel is a shared responsibility between the Centre, the States and the operators.' Reaffirming the Government's commitment to 'Viksit Bharat 2047', Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu emphasised that helicopters and small aircraft will form the backbone of India's regional air connectivity, economic transformation and inclusive growth. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, highlighted several key initiatives in his address. He expressed, 'We are modernising our air traffic systems, promoting green fuel adoption and bringing futuristic aircraft like eVTOL into the realm of policy priorities.' Emphasising the vision of Atma-Nirbhar Bharat, Murlidhar Mohol added, 'On the path to self-reliance in aviation, we are heavily investing in training programs for pilots, maintenance staff, drone operators and rotorcraft technicians. This will ensure that our youth not only participate in but also lead this sector in the coming decade.' Talking about Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, he said, 'HEMS is being strengthened to ensure air ambulances become a common facility, particularly in hilly and remote regions. Our aim is to make this life-saving service an integral part of the nation's healthcare infrastructure.' DGCA Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai in his address reiterated the critical importance of safety, compliance and leveraging untapped opportunities in helicopters and small aircraft operations. The summit witnessed active participation from 20 State Governments, industry leaders, IFSCA (GIFT City), the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, AAI and Pawan Hans Ltd. The summit included technical sessions on DGCA safety regulations, financing and leasing opportunities led by IFSCA and operational challenges for OEMs and operators. State government officials highlighted regional aspirations and opportunities, while industry stakeholders shared insights into emerging technologies, manufacturing potential and financing frameworks. Recent policy initiatives supporting helicopters and small aircraft operations were also discussed, including the launch of UDAN 5.1 for helicopters, revised DGCA regulations simplifying aircraft certification and pilot training and the introduction of guidelines for seaplane operations under RCS-UDAN 5.5. The summit marked a significant step toward shaping India's rotary and small aircraft ecosystem and addressing real-world challenges in operations, infrastructure, emergency services and sustainable growth strategies. (ANI)
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Union Minister encourages use of helicopters for emergency medicine
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Tuesday announced the establishment of a dedicated Helicopter Directorate under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to provide single-window regulatory oversight, address helicopter-specific safety and certification issues, and assist operators with procedural requirements. Naidu was attending the inaugural day of the 7th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit along with Lok Sabha MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol in Pune. Talking about Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, Naidu said globally, helicopter use for medicine stands at 18 per cent but in India, the figure stood at just one per cent. These air ambulances can be used to provide emergency medical services in rural areas that do not have the necessary facilities, he added. He also highlighted the importance of helicopters in organ transport for transplantation. On June 15, a chopper carrying seven people in Kedarnath crashed, killing everyone on board. Speaking to operators and industry leaders on the issue of safety in the aviation industry on routes like Kedarnath, Naidu said, 'Safety of the pilgrims must remain our top priority—there can be no shortcuts, no room for communication errors and no margin for poor decision-making. We must build a culture of trust, dialogue and discipline which I feel is a shared responsibility between the Centre, the states and the operators.' The summit saw participation from 20 state governments, industry representatives, International Financial Services Centres Authority (GIFT City) representatives, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Pawan Hans Ltd. According to information provided by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) at the conference, proposals for eight water aerodrome sites have been submitted by MADC to AAI and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. These include the Dhom dam/Wai dam at Wai in Satara district, the Gangapur dam in Nashik, the Khindsi dam in Nagpur, Koradi dam at Mehkar in Buldhana district, Pawna dam at Pawnanagar in Pune district, Pench dam at Parshivani in Nagpur district, Ganpatipule and Ratnagiri in Ratnagiri district. Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Aviation Minister Naidu announces new directorate for helicopters under DGCA
Union minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday announced the establishment of a dedicated helicopter directorate under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to provide a single-window regulatory oversight , address chopper-specific safety and certification issues. The Minister for Civil Aviation was addressing a keynote speech at the 7th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit in Pune, organised by his ministry in collaboration with the Maharashtra government, Pawan Hans and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). "Robust regional connectivity and logistics has laid the foundation for a high growth and a high opportunity. We are building a strong framework of regional connectivity through initiatives such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, National Logistics Policy, National Civil Aviation Policy and PM Gatishakti Master Plan and ' Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik ' (UDAAN) schemes for multimodal connectivity," he said. "And I would say that these efforts are not only enhancing connectivity but also reshaping our economic destiny," he said. Naidu added that for the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, viksit aviation is going to play a key and pivotal role. Live Events "For that, we all have to strategically build a future aviation system for the country which promotes helicopters and small aircrafts and makes it a very critical component in our vision," he added. Announcing the establishment of a dedicated helicopter directorate under the DGCA, the minister said, "The directorate will serve as a single-window platform for providing oversight in regulatory and addressing helicopter specific safety and certification issues and assisting operators with procedural requirements." "And I am so assured that this is going to be a significant step in the administrative bottlenecks that many of you used to face before," he said. He also emphasized building a robust safety culture. "Safety of the pilgrims must remain our top priority. There can be no shortcuts, no room for communication errors and no margin for poor decision-making. We must build a culture of trust, dialogue and discipline which I feel is a shared responsibility between the Centre, the states and the operators," he said. Talking about Kedarnath , Chardham, he said the safety of pilgrims and operations can be challenging. "While reviewing some of the incidents, you can see that it is quite challenging in the mountainous terrain," he said. Naidu added that operational difficulties should never be the excuse for anyone. "So, that is something where we have to step up the game, create a much better safety system around the operations that we have today," he added. Naidu shared his vision to promote helicopters and small aircraft as essential components of a futuristic aviation ecosystem . "I believe the next decade of aviation will be defined not just by large aircraft and mega airports but by modern and inclusive air solutions. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, helicopters and small aircraft are at the heart of our mission to democratise flying," he added.
