General aviation is all civilian flying except scheduled passenger airline service.

general aviation flies more than 20 million hours each year. More than 90% of the roughly 220,000 civil aircraft registered in the United States are general aviation aircraft. An estimated 65% of general aviation flights are conducted for business and public services that need transportation more flexible than the airlines can offer.

FOR BUSINESS & PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION, GENERAL AVIATION OFFERS SPEED & FLEXIBILITY
GENERAL AVIATION PROTECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT o The most efficient and cost-effective way to conduct wildlife surveys, map wetland losses and soil erosion, follow bird migrations, patrol parklands, and detect pipeline spills is with general aviation aircraft. Specially equipped government and private aircraft gather information vital to the work of wildlife specialists, park rangers, prospectors, environmentalists, and many others. General aviation also flies important documents and overnight packages on their way to offices, factories, and individuals under next-day time pressures. Agricultural purposes GENERAL AVIATION FACILITATES LAW ENFORCEMENT o Used for patrolling highways etc.

INDIA GA
The absence of a regulatory framework is another serious handicap. The report explores the paradoxical situation of a sector which exhibits huge growth potential and yet has virtually no dedicated policy or regulatory framework nor infrastructure to support it. Aside from the operational challenges which this presents, there are significant implications for safety and security. This is not just a problem of inadequate regulation. The lack of dedicated bureaucrat responsibility for general aviation within the Ministry of Civil Aviation, or at a technical level within the DGCA, means GA receives limited visibility or recognition or support. Because the sector is immature, airports are generally not equipped for GA operations. Only two airports, Delhi and Mumbai, have explicitly considered GA in their Masterplans and they have limited capacity overall, especially Mumbai. Conversely, other metros and nonmetro cities have physical capacity but no dedicated GA facilities. Indias business aviation sector to be worth USD12 billion by 2020 The Ministry has recently acknowledged the sector needs more attention and is to appoint a Director for GA. The DGCA will also expand safety oversight and general aviation audits.

by which time the GA fleet is expected to reach 2,000 aircraft, up from 680 today. The Report estimates that the direct and indirect economic contribution of GA could be close to USD4 billion per annum by 2020. What we found was a paradoxical situation of a sector which exhibits huge growth potential and yet has virtually no dedicated policy or regulatory framework nor infrastructure to support it Ensuring that dedicated infrastructure is available (fixed base operators at airports, helipads, aircraft management companies, maintenance facilities and training centres) and in the right places is a fundamental condition. Air navigation services and air traffic control are equally important and sometimes forgotten. And preparing to deliver the necessary levels of skilled resources is essential The sector needs a shake-up for this to happen. This includes providing: o recognition of the role of GA at a policy level application of high and consistent regulatory and training standards; o relaxation of the currently negative fiscal environment in certain areas, and o market entry by professional, experienced and well capitalised operators. GA could make a significant contribution to regional economic development by enhancing passenger and freight connectivity to remote areas, as well as supporting essential services and tourism.