The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is in the process of setting up an ‘Old Age Home’ at Mana locality of Raipur as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, officials informed.
Notably, AAI has also drawn up ambitious plans for creating infrastructure for an international level business and leisure destination on the city side of Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur.
The project aims to provide a world-class environment, in which people can work, play and stay while catering to the surge in traffic of corporate travellers and tourists, officials informed.
The entire land 80 acres of land earmarked for developing various types of infrastructure may be provided to multiple entities / developers for modular development on 30 year lease or to a single entity under PPP concessional framework for development of the city-side for 30 year lease, they informed.
The AAI believes that development of the city side of the airport would make the region an ‘economic hub’ with exceptional connectivity, officials informed.
The city side development of the airport also envisages setting up of hotels and convention centers with an ‘Airport Commercial District’ which would also include ‘Airport Business District’, and a host of world-class passenger convenience amenities among others.
It has also commenced the process for developing small airports in Chhattisgarh under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
AAI is now looking for a Consultant for having talks with Chhattisgarh Government on land related matters pertaining to Airports and Aeronautical Communication Stations (ACSs) in the existing and upcoming airports to be developed by the civil aviation body in Chhattisgarh, official sources informed.
Notably, Chhattisgarh has signed MoU with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for promoting Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in the State, officials informed.
Notably the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation is in the process of signing of MoU with State Governments to ensure their commitment and support to regional air transport operations by providing concessions as required under the RCS for making it successful.
The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier released the draft Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for stakeholder consultation, with the twin objectives of promoting balanced regional growth and making flying affordable for masses.
The RCS is the key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy which was released by the Ministry on June 15, 2016. The scheme, which would be in operation for a period of 10 years, envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports.
This would be achieved through a financial stimulus in the form of Central and State government concessions, as well as Viability Gap Funding to the interested airlines to kick-off operations from such airports, so that the passenger fares are kept affordable.
The fare for a one hour journey of appx. 500 km on a fixed wing aircraft or for a 30 minute journey on a helicopter would now be capped at Rs 2,500, with proportionate pricing for routes of different lengths / duration.
To reduce the cost of operations, Central Government would be providing concessions in the form of reduced Excise on VAT, service tax and flexibility of code sharing at the RCS airports.
Similarly, the State governments would have to lower the VAT on ATF to 1% or less, besides security and fire services free of cost and electricity, water and other utilities at substantially concessional rates. Similarly, landing and Parking charge and Terminal Navigation landing Charges shall not be imposed by the airport operator.
A Regional Connectivity Fund would be created to fund the VGF requirements under the scheme. The same would be funded through a levy on certain domestic flights.
The partner State Governments would also contribute a 20% share to this fund (10% for North Eastern States). For balanced regional growth, the allocations under the scheme would be equitably spread across the 5 geographical regions of the country viz North, West, South, East and North-east.