'Aviation sector growth dipped 4.7% in '08-09'

New Delhi: The Union cabinet minister Praful Patel on Thursday said that the $14 billion Indian aviation industry - almost similar to Indian railways with a turnover of $18 billion - would grow at around 8.5% annually over the next five years. However, due to the slowdown, the sector has declined by 4.7% in 2008-09.
Arguing for the support from the government, he said that Rs 100 spent on air transport produces benefits worth Rs 325 for the economy. The sector, he said, provided 2 lakh direct employments in the country. "India's per capita number of trips is 0.02, compared to 0.1 for China, which is five times higher, and 2.2 trips for the US. So there is a huge potential in our country," the minister said.
According to the statistics he provided, India's population in million per aircraft - and this is an interesting piece of statistics - is 2.89, he said, adding it was 1.14 for China, 0.63 for Brazil, 0.31 for South Africa, 0.24 for Japan, 0.11 for Germany, 0.07 for Britain and 0.05 for the US. "This shows huge potential to increase aircraft penetration in the country, even when compared to other Asian countries," he said.
14/08/09 Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2009