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UAE firm plans to develop airstrips, helipads in India

INT35International/Aviation/BusinessUAE firm plans to develop airstrips, helipads in IndiaDubai, Sep 28 IANS The United Arab Emirates UAE-based real estate company ETA Star Ascon is planning to enter India’s business jet infrastructure sector by developing hundreds of small airstrips in that country.The company, which had set up Star Aviation in India earlier this year to charter out business jets, now plans to develop airstrips and helipads across India.According to Hameed Salahuddin, there is a great demand for such facilities in India as the economy was growing fast.“Corporate India has moved to the next generation that needs fast transit facilities across the country,” Salahuddin told the Gulf News, while pointing out that the subcontinent’s many business and industrial parks and economic zones needed airstrips or helipads for business leaders to travel back and forth.“There is already a strong need for these services. However, the facilities are not in place. We want to fill up that gap,” he was quoted as saying.Apart from the major cities, he said, the new urban communities in India’s remote townships still lack good airport facilities.With the number of private airlines in the country growing, the demand for such facilities has become even more.“In many of these cities, the airport infrastructure does not allow the high-flying executives to travel with business jets,” Salahuddin said. “There is a need to develop the facilities and infrastructure so that they could have a fruitful meeting with officials and have a quick turnaround back to their offices.” He added that his company is already in touch Indian airport authorities for this.“The demand is already there in India. We just have to place the systems and facilities in place, using the existing airport infrastructure to facilitate the services, which will save valuable time of these officials. Currently they spend days in commuting to and from their offices to hold meetings,” he said.--Indo-Asian News Serviceab/vm341 Words28091426