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As spectrum of aviation is expanding, the sector holds a lot of promise for women as a career industry: MoCA Secretary, ET TravelWorld

Addressing women achievers in the aviation industry at the third edition of ‘Giving Wings to Dreams’ awards by Women in Aviation India (WAI) in Delhi, Vumlunmang Vualnam, secretary-Civil Aviation, government of India said that aviation sector in the country is expanding in a big way in the country with new segments like Drones, UDAN, etc. opening up new vistas of aviation offering a lot of new opportunities for aspiring women to move up in the career ladder.

He said that the PLI scheme of the government had the highest success rate in the drone segment and looking at it, the ministry of agriculture has launched a dedicated drone programme for the rural agriculture sector which will be powered by women self-help groups. Around 15,000 drones will be exclusively dedicated for this, he said.

Similarly, the UDAN scheme of the government of connecting remote destinations is another opportunity for women in the country, Vualnam said. The aviation sector gained a great momentum in the country in the last 10 years with the number of airports more than doubling – from 74 to 157. The number of passengers carried domestically also has doubled from 11 cr 10 years ago to 22 cr.

In terms of number of aircrafts, he said that the country has doubled its fleet capacity from 400 to 800 in the last 10 years, it is set to touch 1400 over the next five years, requiring human resource support at all levels – pilots, engineers, cabin crew, ground staff, etc. Vualnam said that the government is committed to integrate women into all areas of aviation ecosystem.

“Safety and security is the priority of our ministry. For security, our institute BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) keeps a keen watch on all airports and for safety DGCA issues CAR (Civil Aviation Rule) so that the safety of the passengers is kept in mind. Whenever any airline or airport is found guilty, a penalty is imposed on them by the ministry,’ the minister said speaking in Hindi.

Speaking on the occasion, Radha Bhatia, president, WAI said, “While India has the largest number of women pilots in the world, we are rooting for equanimous growth across all verticals of aviation. In this relentless pursuit of our mission, we are reaching out to remote corners of the country to inspire and encourage young girls to join the aviation industry. Many of these girls have never seen an aircraft or have never been exposed to the world of aviation. Through these awards we aspire to felicitate outstanding achievers, who pass on the baton to the next generation. This whirlwind is what we hope will someday nurture leaders of the aviation industry tomorrow!” At the third edition, 37 women achievers who have contributed significantly to the aviation sector were recognised.