Under UDAN Scheme 48 New Airports Operationalized; 100 More To Be Added In Next 5 Years

Wings India 2020, the biennial civil aviation and aerospace event was launched today at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. The event is being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation along with Airports Authority of India and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry). More than 100 exhibitors, over 20 states and over 500 delegates are participating in the flagship event of Civil Aviation.

K T Rama Rao, Minister for Industries & Commerce, IT, Electronics & Communications and Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Government of Telangana, Malladi Krishna Rao, Health and Tourism Minister, Government of Puducherry, Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Arvind Singh, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI and Anand Stanley, Chairman FICCI today inaugurated ‘Wings India 2020’ on the theme of ‘Flying For All’.

Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said that India is poised to become the epicentre of growth for this sector. She added that Civil aviation is extremely important for any developing economy and every entity in the civil aviation ecosystem has to work in tandem, almost in perfect coordination to make sure air traffic is safe and secure. She further said that ‘Wings India 2020’ is a platform for all stakeholders to come together to work towards ensuring the growth of the sector.

Arvind Singh, Chairman, Airports Authority of India said that the rapid expansion in India’s airport and air navigation structure will fuel the huge business and tourism opportunities in India.

Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI said that a scaled-down version of Wings India 2020 was conducted with only B2B conference & the public display was cancelled. With necessary precautions of screening public with the scanners, hand sanitizers, distancing & the use of Namaste, we seem to be effectively showing the way of how one can conduct a safe conference and strike the right balance.”

FICCI-MoCA- Deloitte ‘UDAN 4.0+ knowledge paper on the changing landscape of Indian aviation sector under regional connectivity scheme’ was also released during the event. A panel discussion on ‘Capacity Building- Airlines and Airports’ was held which saw active participation of global CEO’s and industry experts. The day also witnessed air shows by Indian Air Forces’ Mark Jeffery Team and Sarang Team.

The Aerobatic show showcased the Extra 300L by Indian Air Forces’ Mark Jeffery Team and ALH Dhruv helicopters by Indian Air Forces’ Sarang Team on 12^th March 2020. Embraer E195, Honda Jet HA420, Diamond DA42, Cessna 182T, Cessna 206, Bell 505, Dornier 228 were on static display. The first day of the event bore positive response with many companies showing interest in collaborations and business acquisitions.  With respect to the business opportunities, first day of the event initiated discussions and conversations from airlines, exhibitors and companies to recognize and celebrate the excellence, triumphs and innovations of key stakeholders within the Aviation industry.