Airport Infrastructure

1.      In keeping with the ICAO standards and recommended practices and the requirements of upgrading airports to the level of international and regional hubs, detailed master plans for the development of all selected airports will be prepared or revised by the operating agency. Such master plans should be conceived of and executed by the best expert advice available and taking futuristic requirements into account. All future upgradation and modernization will have to be normally done in accordance with the master plans. If there is a deviation from the master plan, it will be approved by the Board of Directors of the operating agency and the statutory Government agency designated for the purpose.

2.      Priority will be accorded to safety, passenger facilities, aircraft and cargo handling, while deciding the allotment of funds among different upgradation and modernization schemes.

3.      Air transport serves a time-sensitive market. The surface access to airports should therefore be efficient and city planners should keep the airport-linked requirements constantly in view while designing surface transport development plans. There is a special need to emphasize the aspect of rail links with airports, in view of its near absence in India as contrasted with other countries.

The helicopter provides a direct and rapid means of transport over short-haul routes and is therefore, particularly attractive for businessmen. There is also a great potential for helicopter operations in off-shore oil exploration and production, movement of food grains and essential commodities in remote, hilly and inaccessible areas, traffic management in metropolitan cities and so on. A planned programme for building of heliports will be taken up to give a boost to the helicopter industry.