GIFT City is emerging as a center for aircraft leasing: Civil Aviation Minister

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that the government was keen on developing an aircraft leasing ecosystem in the country, and several companies have set up bases in Gujarat’s GIFT City, which has already leased 200 aircraft. Replying to supplementary in the Lok Sabha, the minister highlighted that the government was also working on bringing down aircraft leasing costs. The minister said the government would bring in a new law to ratify the Capetown Convention which will reduce the leasing costs of aircraft by 8-10 per cent. The reduction in leasing costs would also result in more planes and lower airfares for passengers, he added.

The government has also rolled out various tax incentives for companies leasing out aircraft and the easing of DGCA rules to import such aircraft into the country. He cited the examples of Ireland, Singapore, and Dubai as major hubs for leasing aircraft that India could follow. The minister also highlighted the rapid growth in the Indian civil aviation sector. He said that the government was encouraging more airlines to enter the Indian civil market, and the UDAN scheme had led to even smaller airlines starting operations.