INDIA-US Aviation Cooperation Programme

Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Civil Aviation met Mr. Gary Locke, the US Commerce Secretary on 7th February 2011 and both sides acknowledged the excellent cooperation through the Memorandum of Agreement and India-US Aviation Cooperation Programme (ACP).

The ACP bilateral partnership which was launched in 2007, targets mutual interests in supporting modernisation requirements of India’s rapidly growing Aviation Sector. The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is the lead sponsor of the ACP and funds technical assistance programmes for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI). Mr. Vayalar Ravi thanked Mr. Gary Locke for the projects already underway which have helped the Indian Civil Aviation Sector as a whole. Both sides exchanged views on how to further this cooperation.

Mr. Vayalar Ravi also informed that the Executive Agreement for the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the two sides may be signed very soon once it receives the internal approvals in India.

The two sides discussed the benefits of the ACP partnership in being able to identify and executive priority technical collaboration projects. The Indian side expressed that projects in the pipeline such as the grant agreement for the Inspector training programme or TMODT for the DGCA may be given priority.

Mr. Vayalar Ravi thanked Mr Gary Locke for committing to fund a technical assistance programme for the AAI for the installation and operational certification of a pilot Ground Based Augmentation System at Chennai International Airport which will help to improve the safety and efficiency of India’s air traffic management systems.

The two sides agreed to hold the 3rd India-US Aviation Summit sometime during 2011, in India, at a date mutually convenient.The two Ministers also presided over a business delegation in which business heads of various companies participated.