India, US sign MoU to modernise civil aviation sector

New Delhi: India and the United States have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an Aviation Cooperation Programme for modernisation of the civil aviation sector.
The agreement was signed between visiting Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Secretary, US Transportation Department, Mary Peters in Washington, a US Agency statement said.
Patel also called for tackling shortcomings in the Indian aviation sector, including, inadequate infrastructure and skilled manpower.
"We need more pilot training and engineering facilities as well as more technical people. The real challenge is to build infrastructure in the shortest possible time. Otherwise we cannot sustain this kind of growth," Patel said while attending a session of the US-India Business Council on Thursday.
India must allow private players to build new merchant airports and should promote regional airlines in tier two and tier three cities with one major hub in a region, if it aims to widen the sector, Patel added.
As per the MoU signed, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Civil Aviation Ministry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and public sector entities of both countries will cooperate to identify infrastructural lapses and support modernisation of the Indian civil aviation sector.
22/06/07 ANI/DailyIndia.com, US

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2007, General Aviation Jun 2007