Aviation Partnership Is About An Open Indo-Pacific: Garcetti

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – US Ambassador Eric Garcetti said on March 27 that the US-India aviation partnership is about creating jobs and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific as he met Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and had a ‘fruitful discussion’ with him.

Minister Scindia and Ambassador Garcetti discussed the seventh US-India Aviation Summit, scheduled in Washington, from June 24-26 this year.

After the meeting, which was held on March 26, Scindia said that he had a “productive discussion” with the envoy on a “variety of Indo-US matters, including areas of collaboration in the aviation and steel sectors”.

The US Trade and Development Agency is holding this Summit under the US-India Aviation Cooperation Program, a public-private partnership comprising American aviation firms active in India’s aviation market.

The upcoming event will foster dialogue between Indian civil aviation authorities, industry, and their US counterparts in both public and private sectors.

It will also showcase advanced US technology, equipment, services, and best practices tailored to meet India’s expansion requirements, the USTDA said.

In March 2023, India announced plans to invest $12 billion over two years to construct new airports and update existing ones as part of an effort to improve regional connectivity.

“In the last 10 years, India’s civil aviation industry has experienced expansive growth, bolstered by the integration of low-cost carriers into the nation’s airline fleet, the construction of new airports, and the focus on increasing regional connectivity among the Indian states,” the USTDA added.