Ease of Air Travel-Seminar: Flags the “Flight Path to Excellence: Strategies for Air Travel Improvement for Enhanced Passenger Experience.”

New Delhi, April 9, 2025 – In a concerted effort to improve air travel for passengers, the Foundation for Aviation and Sustainable Tourism (FAST) organized an insightful seminar titled “Ease of Air Travel – Key to Better Passenger Experience” at New Delhi today. Chief Guest of the Seminar; Shri V.Vualnam, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Gov. of India; during his address; he highlighted the government’s commitment to enhancing the air travel experience for passengers, and flagged that Passenger experience is important and we owe it to ourselves to address it effectively. The subject is not only very important it is equally very challenging; as India is a vast nation and has a great mix of people who use aviation for different purposes of commute.  On Skilling, he mentioned employment potential of civil aviation is huge and we need to look wider and India shall be reckoned with Global Quality Manpower Provider.

He applauded  FAST for doing an event on such a day to address the issues of ‘Ease of travel as a key to better passenger experience. In the same breath he applauded the act of FAST for holding Seminars and Workshops on such important subjects and topics of civil aviation that impact the growth and development in the country.

The Welcome address was given  by  Lt. Gen. K.M. Seth, PVSM, AVSM (Retd.), former Governor of Tripura & Chhattisgarh and President FAST; and Vote of Thanks by  notable industry leader, Shri Raman Sidhu, Chairman, EBG Federation – India, and a Life Trustee of FAST.  This brought a fresh insight into to the seminar for the deliberations in the subsequent Business Sessions that followed the Inaugural Session.

The event featured several distinguished speakers, including Shri Madhu Sudana Sankar, Joint Secretary, Min of Civil Aviation, Shri K. Narayan Rao, Vice President, DIAL, and Shri Kapil Kaul, CEO, CAPA-Asia Pacific Region. They were joined by Shri V. P. Agrawal, Former Chairman, Airports Authority of India and Vice President, FAST, and Dr. RK Tyagi, Former Chairman, HAL; who Moderated the Business Session One and Two, respectively.  Speakers from wide spread areas with rich experience & expertise brought enthusiasm among the jam-packed audience; and the result was    a  meaningful discussions about improving passenger experience in air travel.

Business Session-1 was dedicated to Infrastructure Development at airports, airlines, and support services.  Business Session-2 was devoted to the upcoming challenges under Skilling and Re-Skilling for Quality Service and Technology Deployment, including AI.

Other Speakers  included  Shri R. P. Singh, Senior Member of the Joint Working Group on Civil Aviation, Dr. Alka Maheshwary from Amity University, Shri Tushar Pandey, Independent Consultant & Advisor PPP, Shri Vipan Jain, Director Ethics Group of Companies.  Several other industry professionals from the audience too contributed towards enrichment of knowledge on the seminar theme. They discussed various aspects of the air travel experience, including technological advancements and customer service improvements based on their live experiences.

Dr. RK Tyagi stole the show by bringing in a fresh wave of enthusiasm among the audience through lively Q&A session; and complemented the apt and awaked respondents by giving away copies of the book titled “How to Live an Extraordinary Life”, specifically signed with Best Wishes message by Gen. Seth, President, FAST.  The deliberations during the Business Session-2; by  Dr. Bimal Kumar, GM of HAL, Ms. Alpana Chaturvedi, CEO of SLS Logistic Academy Pvt Ltd.; Mr. Manish Rokade, GM, Pawan Hans Ltd. and Mr. NK Pathak from RGNAU; kept the audience engaged even ignoring the lunch slot.

Overall, the Seminar brought in a deep knowledge on the theme that shall form part of  a befitting white paper for the authorities to work upon to serve the air travellers to give them a feel of a better passenger experience.

Key Takeaways from the Seminar:

• Infrastructure Development: The seminar highlighted the need for improved infrastructure at airports, airlines, and support services to ensure a seamless travel experience for passengers.
• Skilling and Re-Skilling: The importance of skilling and re-skilling for quality service and technology deployment, including AI, was emphasized to enhance passenger experience.
• Technological Advancements: Discussions focused on leveraging technology to improve customer service, including the use of AI and other innovative solutions.
• Passenger Accessibility: The government has committed to enhancing passenger accessibility, comfort, and efficiency, with a focus on creating a seamless travel experience.

Outcomes and Recommendations:

The seminar aimed to produce a comprehensive white paper outlining recommendations for improving passenger experience in air travel. The discussions and insights shared during the event will form future policies and initiatives to further enhance the air travel experience in India.