Praful Patel to Deliver Keynote Address at India LCC Symposium

 India’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, is to deliver the Keynote Address at the the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation's 2nd Annual Indian Subcontinent/Middle East Low Cost Airline Symposium in Mumbai on 6 October 2005.

The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation’s forecast last year of 25% growth in domestic air traffic in India has been validated by the developments of the last 12 months. The Centre continues to project a combined fleet size for Indian carriers of 450-500 by 2010, up from approximately 215 today.

“We expect strong growth to continue for several years, driven by low cost carriers (LCCs), but expect that in 2006 the airline industry will be marked by consolidation through mergers and acquisitions,” said Kapil Kaul, the Centre’s CEO Indian Subcontinent & Middle East.

The Centre expects that by 2010 there will be 3-4 large LCCs operating on a national scale in India with a fleet size of 40-50 aircraft. India will also have 5-6 regional LCCs operating with a fleet size of about 15 aircraft each by 2010.

Mr Kaul stated that the issue of high fuel prices will be a hot topic at the Symposium. “The proportion of fuel expenses to total costs for Indian carriers is up to double the world average and we expect the LCCs to press hard for tax relief from State Governments. The Central Government is also considering allowing airlines to hedge their fuel requirements – which would be a step forward for the industry”, said Mr Kaul.

“Airport infrastructure is the other burning issue for the sector. Significant investment from the government and private sector is an urgent priority to provide the requisite capacity for the almost 400 new aircraft on order by Indian carriers”, said Mr Kaul.

In addition to the Minister, the Symposium has attracted many other high level speakers, including:

Ajay Prasad: Secretary Civil Aviation, India (inv) Air Arabia: Adel Ali, CEO Air Deccan: Captain Gopinath, Managing Director Air India: V. Thulasidas, Chairman & Managing Director America West Airlines: Michael Roach, Co-Founder & Former President; Partner, Roach & Sbarra Consulting Arab Air Carriers Organisation: Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General Boeing Commercial Airplanes: Dr. Dinesh A. Keskar, Senior VP Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation: Peter Harbison, Chairman Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation: Andrew Miller, CEO Emerging Markets Partnership (Bahrain): Mumtaz Khan, Chairman & CEO Geneva International Airport: Pierre Germain, Commercial & Finance Director Go Air: Jeh Wadia, Managing Director International Transport Workers' Federation: Ingo Marowsky, Aviation Secretary Istithmar: Osman Qureshi, Senior VP, Head of Industrial Sector Jazeera Airways: Marwan Boodai, Chairman Jet Airways: Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO Kingfisher Airlines: Nigel Harwood, COO Macau Eagle Aviation Services: Tom Wong, Director Corporate Development Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad: Dato' Seri Bashir Ahmad, Managing Director New Hyderabad International Airport: Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Managing Director Nok Air: Patee Sarasin, CEO Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transportation, India: Nilotpal Basu, Chairman SpiceJet: Ajay Singh, Director SriLankan Airlines: Peter Hill, CEO Virgin Blue Airlines: David Huttner, former Head of Strategy Willis Aerospace: Andre Clerc, Chairman.

The accompanying exhibition has completely sold out and delegate spaces are now limited.

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