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IATA DG Calls For Further Regulatory Reform in India
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for an appraisal of India’s regulatory structure, particularly as it relates to taxation, public-private partnerships in airport privatization and the country’s prospects for joining the carbon offset and reduction scheme.
As aviation traffic increases “India will need to deal with the problem of infrastructure in advance or risk safety,” said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac on his 50th day in his new position. De Juniac noted that India is one of the first countries he visited since assuming IATA’s top post. “It is not by chance, as India is one of the key markets,” he said. A recent IATA forecast projected India will surpass the UK as the world’s third largest market by 2026.
Calling the new civil aviation policy “ambitious with many positive elements,” De Juniac expressed concern that India’s new so-called regional connectivity scheme not only caps fares but also imposes an additional tax on flights between major cities to fund operations. “We understand there is a need for connectivity to small towns and cities, but the aviation sector is overburdened by taxes and charges,” he warned. “We are a nice target for charges.” Sustainable development requires a cost structure with fewer taxes, he added.
The regulatory structure remains a cause for unease as airlines face huge costs increases. “The Airport Economic Regulatory Authority [AERA] has been unable to preserve its independence sufficiently and has not been able to implement its own tariff orders, such as the one to reduce Delhi’s charges by 96 percent,” said De Juniac. “In addition, the hybrid till that has been imposed in the policy will further hit airline margins, which are 6 percent in a good year as compared to airports, which have a profit of 30 to 40 percent.” Tanner Kero Authentic Jersey
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