Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Jul: The Ministers’ Conference on Civil Aviation (Northern Region) held here, today, brought together representatives from 117 companies, institutions, and state governments from across the globe. The discussions were aimed at fostering cooperation and strategic alignment between states and industry players to enhance the civil aviation sector. The participants examined possibilities for expanding aviation infrastructure in states with varying geographical landscapes, stressing the need for tailored regional policies to unlock growth.
Key deliberations centred around expansion of heliport infrastructure, optimising the use of helicopters, and enhancing the safety and accessibility of air services. Recent helicopter accidents were also highlighted as a matter of great concern, prompting participants to emphasise the urgent need to improve safety protocols. The aviation companies urged the state authorities to introduce sector-specific policies and financial incentives to widen the reach of flight services in underserved regions.
A major theme of the panel discussions was the extension of helicopter connectivity to remote, roadless regions through both conventional rotorcraft and emerging drone technologies. The speakers stressed on the pivotal role of air services in disaster response, observing that quick aerial access could significantly reduce loss of life during emergencies. The call for increasing the number of permanent helipads across states was made in the context of establishing robust Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The ‘Project Sanjeevani’ initiative, which enables airlift-based medical assistance in remote areas and is being implemented in partnership with AIIMS Rishikesh and the Uttarakhand Government, was presented as a model solution and received widespread appreciation.
The conference witnessed participation from prominent aviation stakeholders including Air India, Embraer, Diamond Hospitalities, IndoCopter Private Limited, Caravan International Air Service, Alhind Air, Sky Connect, Carewell Aviation Private Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Airports Authority of India, and representatives of state civil aviation departments. Industry bodies such as FICCI and consultancy firms like McKinsey were also represented, reflecting the broad and collaborative nature of the dialogue.
