The policy points out that India has “missed the opportunity to host” air sports enthusiasts from Europe, North America, and Australia, who during peak winters in their countries, migrate to the Southern hemisphere to follow their passion
To make India one of the top air sports destinations in the world, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has prepared a draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP) 2022. The policy points out that India has “missed the opportunity to host” air sports enthusiasts from Europe, North America, and Australia, who during peak winters in their countries, migrate to the Southern hemisphere to follow their passion.
The policy seeks to promote the air sports sector by making the activity regulated to make it “safe, affordable, accessible, enjoyable and sustainable”. The key activities identified to be brought under the policy framework include air racing, aerobatics, aeromodelling, hang gliding, paragliding, paramotoring, skydiving, etc.
The policy proposes to set up an autonomous body called the Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation with Secretary – MoCA as the Chair. ASFI will be the regulatory body for all activities related to air sports in the country. The empowered Federation will represent India in Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Most of the advanced equipment for air sports such as aircraft, specialised parachutes, helmets, batteries, GPS trackers, and radio aids, etc. will have to be imported. So, the draft policy has proposed to consider allowing import of air sports equipment without any import duty for a particular number of years
The policy also projects a boost to travel and tourism in the country. Other than the direct revenue from air sports, the multiplier benefits in terms of growth of travel, tourism, infrastructure, and local employment, especially in hilly areas of the country, are several times greater. According to the policy, the creation of air sports hubs across the country will also bring in air sports professionals and tourists from across the world,
The draft mentions: “Air sports are particularly popular in Europe followed by North America and Australia. During peak winters, the level of air sports reduces in Europe and enthusiasts move to the Southern hemisphere. India has hitherto missed the opportunity to host these migratory air sports professionals, many of whom are high-spending tourists too. This will enable Indian air sports enthusiasts to learn from the experience of the visiting professionals, get exposed to global best practices, and create opportunities to host global competitions in India.”
The policy also points out that registration of operators and standards of the equipment being used for air sports activities, etc., will be streamlined. Most of the advanced equipment for air sports such as aircraft, specialised parachutes, helmets, batteries, GPS trackers, and radio aids, etc. will have to be imported. So, the draft policy has proposed to consider allowing import of air sports equipment without any import duty for a particular number of years.
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