Overview
- Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu and EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas agreed to advance an action plan focused on sustainability, innovation and green aviation, with Sustainable Aviation Fuel a key priority.
- Proposed measures include pursuing an EASA–DGCA memorandum of understanding, forming joint working groups, and collaborating on joint certification, cybersecurity and drone regulations.
- Naidu urged Airbus and Boeing to consider aircraft component manufacturing and MRO facilities in India and sought partnerships to expand helicopter services for tourism, medical needs and regional connectivity.
- The minister also discussed advanced weather intelligence with the World Meteorological Organization and outlined India’s approach to scaling autonomous mobility, referencing Drone Rules 2021 and preparation for eVTOLs.
- Setting long-term context, Naidu highlighted a plan to expand India’s airports to 350 by 2047 and noted nearly 1,700 aircraft on order as the country pursues aviation hub ambitions.