21 May 2010 | By: Mohamed Hairul Borhan

India will be one of the top-five civil aviation markets in the world in the next five years, said Praful Patel, the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation.

Inaugurating the new integrated terminal building of Mangalore airport here on Saturday, he said that the country's civil aviation sector was not recognised in the world until a few years ago. Today, India is the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world.

“Within the next five years, India will be in the top-five civil aviation markets all across the world. That, I think, is a great achievement in the remarkably short period of time,” he said.

Stating that substantial improvements have been made in the civil aviation sector in the country, he said today flying is no more a luxury for the common man. Mr Patel said that country's infrastructure is undergoing a sea change under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

For the first time there is a Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure headed by the Prime Minister. That is why projects were being monitored and implemented on time, he said.

Courtesy of IBEF