Domestic Air Transport Policy
On 28th May 1953 - with the enactment of the Air Corporations Act, 1953 - Government of India nationalised the airline industry. In accordance with this Act, two air corporations, viz. Indian Airlines Corporation and Air India International, were established and the assets of all the then existing air companies (nine) were transferred to the two new Corporations. The operation of scheduled air transport services was made a monopoly of these two Corporations and the Act prohibited any other person or their associates from operating any scheduled air transport services from/ to/ or across India.
Policy on Airport Infrastructure
In our journey towards the twenty-first century when the Indian economy is all set to integrate itself into the global economy, the upgradation and modernisation of infrastructure and its efficient use have assumed critical importance. It is now increasingly recognised that aviation, far from being a mere mode of transportation for an elite group, is crucial for sustainable development of trade and tourism. In this context, it is vital that airport infrastructure grows in anticipation of the escalating needs of the air transport industry. As this is a capital-intensive sector, there is an obvious need for perspective planning with a vision for the next twenty years and to muster the combined resources of the public and private sectors, both domestic and foreign.