Parliament Question: Global partnerships for improvements in Civil Aviation sector

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 163 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2nd February 2026 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR 163. SMT SANGEETA YADAV Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government has engaged with foreign governments or industry representatives to explore international partnerships in civil aviation, airport infrastructure and air logistics and if so, the details thereof; (b) the reforms undertaken to modernise India's civil aviation legislation, services and sectoral governance; (c) whether technological or operational improvements have been considered to strengthen civil aviation activities and if so, the details thereof; and (d) the steps taken to strengthen digitalisation, green aviation practices and innovation across airports and airlines? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) The Government of India actively engages with foreign governments, international organisations, and global industry representatives to explore and strengthen international partnerships in civil aviation, airport infrastructure, and air logistics. These engagements span multilateral forums, bilateral meetings, industry events and strategic pacts focused on collaboration, investment, and infrastructure development. Recent platforms for such engagement include Wings India 2026, 43rd International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) General Assembly, IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM), ICAO Air Services Negotiation event (ICAN) etc. (b) to (d): Reforms and technological or operational improvements to modernise and strengthen India's Civil Aviation Sector is a continuous process. Airports across the country have adopted a comprehensive mix of digital, automation, and infrastructure-led interventions. These include Digi Yatra for seamless, contactless passenger movement using facial recognition, e-Boarding, Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS), Airport - Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) for improving On-time Performance, AI-powered digital twin platform that aims to revolutionize airport operations and transform the passenger experience and Airport Predictive Operation Centre (APOC), a transformative advancementin airport management and operations, are some other innovative measures taken at the airports. AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited (AAICLAS) has developed Integrated Cargo Management System (ICMS), comprehensive digital platform providing operational functionalities, including online booking and electronic payment facilities for air cargo stakeholders. The system also provides cargo tracking within the air cargo complex along with real-time status updates. The Government has approved indicative blending targets of 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030 for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in traditional ATF, initially for international flights. At present, 4 airports in the country namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have become Carbon Neutral and achieved Airports Council International (ACI) Carbon Accreditation Level 5. ******