Mysuru: Union govt plans to invest around Rs 28,840 crore over the next 10 years to strengthen the civil aviation sector, said Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Friday. Speaking to reporters after the Civil Aviation Consultative Committee meeting in Mysuru, the minister said the meeting reviewed the progress of the Centre’s flagship UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, airport infrastructure, air connectivity and pilot training.He said Union govt is working closely with the state govts to improve airport infrastructure, connectivity and operational efficiency. The meeting also discussed measures to strengthen flight training organisations (FTOs) and ensure that India produces pilots meeting global standards.“Over the last 10 years, UDAN has achieved tremendous success, with several new airports coming up, and air connectivity improving across the country,” he claimed.On the proposed second airport in Bengaluru, Naidu said the decision had to be taken by Karnataka govt. “The state has to indicate to the Centre where and how it wants to develop the second airport. We are waiting for the state’s indication,” he said.Naidu also highlighted the progress of the govt-owned Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) at Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh and said the Centre was working to establish more FTOs and improve the quality of pilot training facilities in the country to meet the growing demand for pilots.
