US to help India with streamline flights, airport operations

NEW DELHI: After the historic open skies treaty, India and the US are expected to finalise an umbrella agreement on technical assistance in civil aviation soon. The agreement will clear the way for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help India revamp its regulatory set-up and introduce new technologies.

The offer was made by the US but it is India, which is now keen on firming up the agreement at the earliest given the pressure from the increasing number of airlines and a forecast of double-digit growth in annual air traffic.

The agreement, sources say, has already been cleared by the ministries of civil aviation and external affairs. Now the Ministry of Law is studying it but the indication is that it will be signed shortly.

Like the Open Skies, the US has this agreement with over a hundred countries. There is widespread concern that the growth in aviation may become stunted due to an outdated regulatory mechanism and poor airport infrastructure. The slackness in technological upgradation that hampers efficient air traffic control complicates matters further.

The agreement will allow FAA experts to train Indians in infrastructure and regulation. Some of the key areas where FAA help is expected are:

* SATELLITE-BASED NAVIGATION: This is the future of air navigation. ISRO and the Airports Authority of India are already working on the GAGAN project, which involves an elaborate network of ground-based systems linked to a designated satellite. FAA will assist India in developing this technology and emerge as the sole provider of such services in the region.

* AIR NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES: While satellite-based systems are the future, India has not upgraded its existing navigation systems like radars, computer hardware etc. Neither has it redesigned its procedures and air traffic routes to meet the current demand. The FAA will bring in its expertise to initiate a transition.

* AIRPORT CERTIFICATION: India has never certified its airports or even drawn up a set of objective standards. The International Civil Aviation Organisation has now made such certification mandatory. The FAA can provide expertise in carrying out the audits.

* AVIATION SAFETY: Besides its long charter of other duties, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the sole regulator for safety. Streamlining this body is a key recommendation of the Naresh Chandra Committee on Civil Aviation reforms. FAA will share its experience and help train the manpower needed to revamp the DGCA.

Significantly, the signing of the agreement will lead to harmonisation of procedures, equipment, training and safety standards between India and the US. At some stage of this engagement, India can hope to even initiate negotiations on a bilateral air safety agreement with the US that will certify items produced by Indian companies to be used by American aviation companies like Boeing.

It is believed that the FAA is considering opening an India office. Currently, it has a regional office in Bangkok but one in India will help increase its presence in South Asia, the Middle-East and Central Asia. These plans are likely to be firmed up during the visit of FAA Administrator Mario Clifton Blakey in November.