"Hawai chappal-wearing common citizens should be able to travel in Hawai Jahaj (aircraft). I am seeing it happening," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he highlighted that India's aviation market is growing rapidly. Speaking at a public meeting after inaugurating the Shivamogga airport, he said India will need thousands of aircraft in the near future, and the days of Made-in-India passenger aircraft are not far. Modi also took a dig at the Congress, saying before 2014 during the UPA regime, Air India was generally discussed in a negative light and its identity had always been associated with scams where it was deemed a loss-making business model.
Highlighting the Air India of today, the Prime Minister said it is recognized as the potential of a new India where the airline is soaring to the heights of success. "Recently, Air India finalized the world's biggest airplane purchase deal. Before 2014, Air India was discussed for negative reasons. Air India was known for scams and as a loss-making business model during the Congress rule but today Air India is scaling new heights demonstrating the new capabilities of the country," Modi said. In January 2022, the Tata Group took over ownership of Air India after the Central government sold its stakes in the erstwhile state-run carrier.
Pointing out that the world is watching the growing aviation market in India, Modi said in the coming days there will be a need for thousands of aircraft. He also said that India will not remain an aircraft-importing nation for long. "We may be importing airplanes now but the day is not far away when the citizens of India will travel in 'Made in India' aircraft," the Prime Minister said. He added that the aviation sector is opening many avenues of employment due to the policies of the BJP government, which is behind the expansion of the aviation sector. The Prime Minister slammed the Congress for "limiting" the scope of aviation to big cities.
"Before 2014, the focus was only on big cities. Congress never had the thinking to connect small towns on the aviation map. We decided to change this situation. There were 74 airports in 2014. They were built in 70 years of independence. The BJP government, in nine years, built 74 new airports," Modi said. In all, the Prime Minister today laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth more than Rs 3,600 crore here. This is Modi's fifth visit this year to the state, where Assembly elections are due by May. The inauguration of the airport coincided with the 80th birthday of Karnataka BJP strongman and four-time Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who hails from Shivamogga district.
Modi asked people to switch on the flashlights of their mobile phones to commemorate former Yediyurappa's birthday. Karnataka has made up its mind to repeatedly give the opportunity to "double engine" government, he said. The Prime Minister recalled Yediyurappa's contribution to public life and said his recent speech in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is an inspiration for everyone in public life. The Prime Minister reiterated that the airport in Shivamogga is being inaugurated at a time when enthusiasm for air travel is at an all-time high in India. Elaborating upon the policies of the government that have led to an unprecedented expansion of the aviation sector, Modi said, unlike the approach of previous governments, the current regime pushed for airports in smaller cities.
