UP to introduce new civil aviation policy

With a view to woo investments in the civil aviation sector in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government will introduce a new civil aviation policy, which will offer several sops to private investors.

The draft of the new policy has been prepared and circulated among all stakeholders to get feedback and accommodate necessary changes before the final announcement.

The state government is offering a SGST reimbursement on the sale of air tickets through the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), free airport parking and night halt facility, free office space at airports, 50 per cent waiver on Route Navigation and Facilitation Charges (RNFC) for three years, free fire services, power on subsidised rates, free ambulance and medical facilities, bus connectivity services to nearby main cities, and the underwriting of vacant seats.

If any of the corporate houses set up manufacturing and assembly units in the state, the government will exempt them from S-GST for a period of ten years.

The state government plans to upgrade 10 airstrips of Meerut, Moradabad, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Azamgarh, Aligarh, Sonebhadra and Shravasti to facilitate operations for private airlines. This will enable connectivity between Lucknow and 15 of 18 divisional headquarters. It also plans to develop Kushinagar (Budha Circuit), Kanpur, Hindan and Palia (near Dudhwa National Park) airstrips in the future.

The main aim of the new policy is to create infrastructure facilities through private investments for linking the entire state, particularly areas of historical importance, through air connectivity to boost the civil aviation sector, while also promoting tourism.