Hardeep Singh Puri bullish on air travel revival

HYDERABAD: Passenger activity in terms of air travel will return to pre-Covid 19 levels either by the end of December or by the beginning of 2021, Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said during the Indian School of Business - Hyderabad’s Deccan Dialogue event. 

Speaking at the event, Puri said, “We opened civil aviation on May 25 — two months and two days after complete lockdown — with 30,000 passengers a day. Two days ago, just before Diwali, we carried 2.25 lakh passengers.” 

Puri, who also holds the portfolio of Urban and Housing Affairs, said that as of now, civil aviation is running at 70 per cent in a calibrated manner. “I have already told my colleagues to look at 80 per cent. I am confident that by December 31, or a week or two into January, we will return to pre-Covid levels,” he said. 

Puri also said that when the civil aviation functions are fully operational, there will be a need to strengthen the existing safety protocols. “It requires professional people to set up those protocols as well as self discipline,” he said. 

‘Current model distorted’

The Union Minister also stressed on increasing the aviation sector’s contribution to the national GDP. 
Terming the present aviation model as distorted, Puri said, “I want to get back aviation GDP into India. The value of air traffic between US and India is roughly $7 bn annually. How much do Indian carriers get of the traffic? A mere 17 per cent. It is not that the USA carriers get the remaining 83 per cent — not going to say who gets it. I see no reason why Indian flagship or private carriers can earn more money. These are distorted business models.”