‘Govt working to expand air connectivity’: CM Dhami at civil aviation meet

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday took part in the Northern Region Ministers Conference on Civil Aviation, held in Dehradun.

Speaking after the event, CM Dhami emphasized the state’s commitment to enhancing air connectivity across northern India. He was joined at the conference by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

Expressing satisfaction over Uttarakhand being selected as the venue for the conference, CM Dhami said the move reflects the Centre’s keen interest in expanding aviation services in the state.

“We will discuss how to expand air services in the northern regions of the country, how to increase facilities, and how to expand airports... Uttarakhand being chosen as the host for the conference shows that in a border area like ours, the central government is making serious efforts to increase air services,” CM Dhami told reporters in Dehradun.

During the interaction with the media, Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also addressed the recent AI-171 aircraft incident, asserting that India has been adhering to internationally recognized aviation safety protocols for the past decade. He highlighted how this commitment has contributed to the sector's rapid advancement. “Rules are already in place; they are global standard safety rules. By following the same, we have seen a growth in civil aviation — in the last 10 years, no other country could match up to us. The standards and systems we have are really good. An incident occurred, and an investigation is being conducted. If there is scope for doing anything more, we will definitely do it,” Naidu said.

Naidu added that the government is actively reviewing feedback from stakeholders across the aviation sector and is open to further reforms if needed. “We held discussions with all airlines and with airports. Be it DGCA or BCAS — we told all of them to study these subjects deeply. If something comes out to further improve our standards globally, we will not step back from doing it. We want Indian aviation to be the best in the country,” the minister affirmed.

The conference brought together key stakeholders to review regional aviation growth, infrastructure expansion, and regulatory upgrades, as the government pushes ahead with efforts to position India as a global leader in civil aviation.