National Air Sports Policy 2022 Launched: Know Objective, Key Features- Which air sports will be covered?

National Air Sports Policy-2022: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched India's first-ever National Air Sports Policy-2022 in New Delhi on June 7, 2022. 

The National Air Sports Policy is expected to generate a large volume of revenue amounting to Rs 8,000 - Rs 10,000 crore. Air sports currently generate a revenue of Rs 80 - Rs 100 crore.

The National Air Sports Policy will promote eleven air sports including ballooning, aerobatics, gliding, powered aircraft, parachuting and rotorcraft. The Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) will be the nodal body for air sports in India.

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National Air Sports Policy 2022 Objective

The main objective of the policy is to include India among the top air sporting nations by 2030. The policy aims to provide a safe, affordable and sustainable air sports ecosystem in the country. 

Following are some of the key objectives of the policy-

• Create safe, affordable air sports ecosystem in India
• Enhance of participation of Indians in global air sports
• Promote indigenous manufacturing of air sports equipment in India 

National Air Sports Policy 2022 Significance

• The National Air Sports Policy 2022 will create a robust ecosystem of air sports activities in the country. 
• This will help in generation of about one lakh jobs in the air sports sector and increase revenue from existing Rs 100 crore to Rs 10,000 crore in the coming years. This is also expected to generate employment in the country. 

National Air Sports Policy 2022: 7 Important Features

1. The centre will create air corridors in certain location to allow uninhibited air sporting activities in the designated areas. 

2. The demarcated locations will be declared as a 'Control Zone'  with necessary permissions from the Home Ministry, Defence Ministry, state government and the local air traffic control authority.

3. The policy will promote domestic manufacturing of air sports equipmentThe centre will also request the GST Council to consider rationalising the GST rate on the air sports equipment to 5 percent or less to make air sports affordable to the common public.

4. The educations institutions including schools, colleges and universities will be encouraged to have air sports included in their curriculum.

5. A four-tier governance structure, Air Sports Federation of India, has been formed to cover all aspects of air sports.

6. Overall, 13 air sports associations will be formed for 13 sports each. 

7. The policy will cover the following air sports activities -

-Aerobatics

-Powered aircraft

-Rotorcraft

-Ballooning

-Drones

-Parachuting

-Aeromodelling

-Model rocketry

-Gliding

-Powered gliding

-Hand gliding

-Paragliding

-Paramotoring

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