AI CRASH PROBE: BLACK BOX BEING EXAMINED IN INDIA, SAYS NAIDU

Union minister of civil aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Tuesday announced the creation of a dedicated helicopter directorate under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aimed at providing single-window regulatory oversight, addressing helicopter-specific safety and certification issues, and assisting operators with procedural requirements.

- Dheeraj Bengrut

PUNE: Naidu made the announcement during his address at the seventh 'Helicopter and Small Aircraft Summit'.

Despite India's size and growing aviation needs, the country currently has only around 300 helicopters in civil operation—far fewer than countries like Brazil, which has over 600. Highlighting this gap, Naidu said that the new dedicated directorate under the DGCA will be a first-of-its-kind institutional support mechanism for rotary-wing aviation. He also acknowledged financial challenges in the small aircraft segment, particularly the high cost of new aircraft. "To promote aircraft leasing, we passed a bill in Parliament protecting aircraft objects' interests. As a result, leasing costs have reduced by 8 to 10%," he noted.

Naidu highlighted the Centre's digital initiatives such as the Heli Sewa portal that have helped streamline operations through digitised processes like route approvals and slot allocations, enhancing transparency and efficiency across the board. The summit also witnessed the formal award of new Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) helicopter routes across several states, further strengthening regional air connectivity under the central government's flagship UDAN scheme.