It’s time to say goodbye to 2023 and welcome 2024, but this year has been remarkable for the Indian aviation industry, and we have all seen significant achievements. Let us summarize the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India’s 2023 year performance.
In the year 2023, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) achieved significant milestones as the aviation sector experienced substantial growth and expanded its horizons. Some of the noteworthy accomplishments of MoCA are outlined below:
Indian Aviation 2023 Year-End Review
UDAN-RCS Achievements
Launched in 2016, RCS-UDAN aims to facilitate air operations on underserved and unserved routes, connect diverse regions, foster balanced regional development, and make air travel more affordable. This self-financing scheme involves a nominal levy for each departure on main (trunk) routes to cross-subsidize UDAN flight operations.
Key achievements of RCS-UDAN from January 1, 2023, to December 21, 2023, include:
- Commencement of 60 new RCS routes.
- Operationalization of 6 airports: Rourkela, Hollongi, Jamshedpur, Cooch Behar, Utkela, and Shivamogga.
- Initiation of 12 new RCS routes in the North Eastern States.
- Awarding of 154 new RCS routes under UDAN 4.2 & 5.0.
DigiYatra Success Story
Digi Yatra is a project designed to facilitate contactless and seamless processing of passengers at airports by leveraging Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).
The project’s core concept involves allowing travelers to navigate various airport checkpoints through paperless and contactless procedures, establishing their identity through facial features.
Further, passengers can conveniently enroll on the platform from the comfort of their homes. Over 35 lakh users have downloaded the Digi Yatra app.
Digi Yatra has been successfully implemented at the following 13 airports:
- Delhi, Bengaluru, and Varanasi airports on December 1, 2022
- Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, and Vijayawada on March 31, 2023
- Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Cochin, Guwahati, Jaipur, and Lucknow during August 2023
Since its initiation, more than 91 lakh passengers have utilized the Digi Yatra facility to navigate airports efficiently. The plan is to gradually extend Digi Yatra to cover all airports in a phased manner.
Greenfield Airports Approval
The Government of India established the Greenfield Airports Policy in 2008, outlining guidelines, procedures, and conditions for setting up new Greenfield Airports in the country. In-principle approval has been granted for the development of 21 Greenfield Airports across various regions, including:
- Mopa in Goa
- Navi Mumbai, Shirdi, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra
- Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan, and Shivamogga in Karnataka
- Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh
- Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh
- Dholera and Rajkot in Gujarat
- Karaikal in Puducherry
- Dagadarthi, Bhogapuram, and Oravakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh
- Durgapur in West Bengal
- Pakyong in Sikkim
- Kannur in Kerala
- Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh
Among these, 12 Greenfield airports, including Durgapur, Shirdi, Sindhudurg, Pakyong, Kannur, Kalaburagi, Oravakal, Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa, Shivamogga, and Rajkot, have been operationalized. In 2023, three Greenfield airports became operational: Mopa, Shivamogga, and Rajkot.
Key developments were accomplished at PPP (Public-Private Partnership) airports in 2023, including:
- The inauguration of the 4th runway and Eastern Cross Taxiway at Delhi Airport.
- Commencing operations at the new T2 terminal facilitates domestic and international flights at Bangalore Airport.
- The expansion of the terminal building at Hyderabad Airport.
- The reconfiguration of the Pre-Embarkation Security Check area at Mumbai Airport.
Flying Training Organisations (FTO) Update
As of November 30, 2023, there are 34 DGCA-approved FTOs operating at 55 bases in the country. Among these, IGRUA at Amethi (UP) is under the Central Government, eight are under State Governments, and the private sector owns 25.
IGRUA, established in 1986 and located at Amethi, is India’s largest FTO. It operates as an autonomous body under the control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. In the year 2020, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) introduced a liberalized FTO policy, abolishing airport royalty payments and significantly rationalizing land rentals.
In 2021, AAI awarded nine FTO slots at five airports, and currently, seven of these slots are operational. Additionally, in June 2022, six more FTO slots were awarded at five airports, with one slot at Salem becoming operational in 2023.
Flight Crew Licensing Record
The Directorate of Training and Licensing oversees the initial issue, conversion, and renewal/endorsement of various flight crew licenses, including CPL, ATPL, CHPL, PPL, and FATA.
In 2023, DGCA achieved an all-time high by issuing 1562 CPLs (as of December 18, 2023). Over the past six years, the number of CPLs issued in India is as follows:
Further, DGCA has processed 23908 flight crew licensing issue and renewal applications through the single-window digital platform of eGCA in 2023. The breakdown of pilot licenses and ratings issued between January 1, 2023, and December 18, 2023, is as follows:
- Commercial Pilot Licenses (CPL): 1562
- Airline Transport Pilot Licenses (ATPL): 647
- Type Ratings: 4006
- Other Pilot Licenses & Ratings (PPL, FRTOL, FIR, AFIR, FATA, IR, Open Rating, P1 Endorsement): 8374
Total: 14589
A new API Integration process has been implemented for auto-filling Pilot’s e-logbook by integrating Aircraft System data (ACARS/AIMS/ARMS) of Scheduled Airline Operators (Indigo & Air Asia) with eGCA in the current year 2022-2023. This system aims to enhance the accuracy of e-logbook data and reduce pilot fatigue by eliminating manual entries.
Record Traffic and Orders
On November 19, 2023, India witnessed a significant milestone in its aviation sector as domestic airlines carried a record-high of 456,910 passengers.
This marked the highest single-day air traffic since the onset of the pandemic, showcasing a remarkable 7.4% increase above pre-COVID averages. The surge in passenger numbers clearly indicates the recovery and resilience observed in the aviation industry.
India maintains an extensive global network of international flights and currently holds Air Services Agreements (ASAs) with 116 countries. Through consistent efforts, India ensures direct connectivity to over 52 countries and indirect routes connecting more than 100 countries.
Sustained connectivity from foreign nations is facilitated by designating foreign carriers in accordance with bilateral ASAs. Since 2014, India has entered into a Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 57 countries, including recent agreements/revisions with Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and New Zealand in 2023.
In addition to routinely granting permissions for charter operations from various countries, India has allowed the transportation of passengers and cargo from Afghanistan through non-scheduled charter operations on humanitarian grounds.
On June 19th, at the Paris Air Show 2023, IndiGo finalized an order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft. Subsequently, on June 20th, Air India formalized a deal for 470 Airbus and Boeing Aircraft during the same event.
Noteworthy new destinations added in 2023 include Nairobi, Jakarta, Tbilisi, Baku, Kualanamu, Vienna, Copenhagen, Milan, Amsterdam, Gatwick, Mauritius, Minsk, and Entebbe.
For a complete list of achievements, click here: pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1989856
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
