The Hindu Business Line : Panel urges capital grant to flying training institutes

THE Naresh Chandra Committee has recommended that the Ministry of Civil Aviation or the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should provide capital grants in terms of trainer aircraft to the operational flying training institutes.

In its second part of the report, which was submitted to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, the committee has also noted that since the support of Airports Authority of India (AAI) is critical for the survival of these institutes, the authority should continue to charge nominal rent for the hangars.

"The training activities should be totally exempted from the route navigation facility charges (RNFC), apart from landing and parking charges," the report said.

The Naresh Chandra panel had been set up to draw up a roadmap for the entire aviation sector and suggest ways of ensuring that aviation became more affordable.

The Committee, headed by the former Cabinet Secretary, Mr Naresh Chandra, included the HDFC Chairman, Mr Deepak Parekh, and the former Secretary, Civil Aviation, Mr K. Roy Paul, among others.

The committee has also suggested that the DGCA and the Ministry should waive the charge of Rs 25,000 levied on training institutes for granting non-scheduled operators' permit. Besides, it has also suggested that the validity of the permit should be extended to five years from the present term of one year.

The committee has said that the procedures for import of aircraft parts be simplified and suggested that parts listed in the aircraft manufacturers' parts catalogue or certified by the DGCA as aircraft parts should be cleared by the customs as aircraft parts.