India is poised to steer out of the current crisis in the aviation sector and the government was doing "everything possible" to support and sustain the industry, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said today.
"We have set the ball in motion for the development of Indian aviation sector and soon we will be ranked third or fourth in the world. We are also committed to make aviation safer and cleaner with the co-operation of other countries like the US," he said.
Inaugurating the India Aviation-2008 exhibition at the old Begumpet airport here, Patel pointed out that foundations of the Indian aviation sector were strong enough to weather the crisis that has hit the sector across the globe.
"Indian aviation is here to stay," he added.
The four-day event, being held for the first time in India, is jointly organised by the Union Civil Aviation ministry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Stating that India provided a huge investment opportunity in the aviation sector, the minister said about 200 to 300 billion dollars would be required in the next 10-15 years for development of aviation infrastructure.
There were about 400 old or unused airports in the country, Patel said these could be brought into operation in a phased manner.
Apart from regular air traffic, helicopter tourism, general and business aviation should also be exploited as they held huge potential.
