Civil aviation in India

Last updated

The busiest Indian airports (2015-16) Busiest Indian airports.png
The busiest Indian airports (2015–16)

Civil aviation in India, the world's third-largest civil aviation market as of 2020, [1] traces its origin back to 1911, when the first commercial civil aviation flight took off from a polo ground in Allahabad carrying mail across the Yamuna river to Naini. [2]

Contents

Air India is India's national flag carrier after merging with Indian Airlines in 2007 [3] [ better source needed ] and plays a major role in connecting India with the rest of the world. [4] IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, AIX Connect, Spicejet, Akasa Air and, are the major carriers in order of their market share. [5] These airlines connect more than 80 cities across India and also operate overseas routes after the liberalisation of Indian aviation. Several other foreign airlines connect Indian cities with other major cities across the globe. However, a large section of country's air transport potential remains untapped, even though the MumbaiDelhi air corridor is ranked the world's third-busiest route. [6]

India is the third-largest civil aviation market in the world as of 2021. [7] It recorded an air traffic of 131 million passengers in 2016, of which 100 million were domestic passengers. The largest airline by international passenger traffic was Jet Airways which transported over 10 million passengers in and out of India in 2016, followed by Air India and AI Express (8.8 million). In third place was Emirates (5.46 million), which is the largest foreign airline operating in India. [8]

History of civil aviation

Air routes of British India in 1925 1925 Air Routes of British India.jpg
Air routes of British India in 1925
Photograph of Amy Johnson with Jason (Moth) aircraft at Jhansi in India (c. 1930). Amy Johnson jason india.jpg
Photograph of Amy Johnson with Jason (Moth) aircraft at Jhansi in India (c. 1930).
An elephant pulling a Supermarine Walrus aircraft into position at a Fleet Air Arm station in India (c. June 1944). An elephant pulling a Supermarine Walrus aircraft into position at a Fleet Air Arm station in India, June 1944. A24291.jpg
An elephant pulling a Supermarine Walrus aircraft into position at a Fleet Air Arm station in India (c. June 1944).

Modern civil Aviation in India traces back to 18 February 1911, when the first commercial civil aviation flight took off from Allahabad for Naini over a distance of 6 miles (9.7 km). During the Allahabad Exhibition, Henri Pequet, a French aviator, carried 6,500 pieces of mail on a Humber biplane from the exhibition to the receiving office at Allahabad. This is the world's first official airmail service. [9] The first commercial airline in present-day India was Handley Page Indo-Burmese Transport. [10] On 15 October 1932, J. R. D. Tata flew a consignment of mail from Karachi to Juhu Airport. His airline later became Air India. [11]

In March 1953, the Indian Parliament passed the Air Corporations Act. India's airline industry was nationalised and the eight domestic airlines operating independently at that time – Deccan Airways, Airways India, Bharat Airways, Himalayan Aviation, Kalinga Airlines, Indian National Airways, Air India and Air Services of India – were merged into two government-owned entities. Indian Airlines focussed on domestic routes and Air India International on international services. [9] The International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) was constituted in 1972 while the National Airports Authority was constituted in 1986. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security was established in 1987 following the tragic crash of Air India Flight 182. Pushpaka Aviation operated scheduled international passenger flights from Bombay to Sharjah, as an associate carrier of Air India from 1979 to 1983.

East-West Airlines was the first national-level private airline to operate in the country after the government de-regularised the civil aviation sector in 1991. The government allowed private airlines to operate charter and non-scheduled services under the 'Air Taxi' Scheme until 1994, when the Air Corporation Act was repealed and private airlines could now operate scheduled services. Private airlines like Air Sahara, Modiluft, Damania Airways and NEPC Airlines among others commenced domestic operations during this period. [9]

Air India placed orders for more than 68 jets from Boeing for US$7.5 billion in 2006 while Indian placed orders for 43 jets from Airbus for US$2.5 billion in 2005. [12] [13] IndiGo announced orders for 100 Airbus A320s worth US$6 billion during the Paris Air Show, the highest by any Asian domestic carrier. [14] Kingfisher Airlines became the first Indian air carrier on 15 June 2005 to order Airbus A380 aircraft worth US$3 billion. [15] [16]

More than half a dozen low-cost carriers entered the Indian market in 2004–05. Major new entrants included Air Deccan, Air Sahara, Kingfisher Airlines, SpiceJet, GoAir, Paramount Airways and IndiGo. But Indian aviation industry struggled due to economic slowdown, rising fuel and operation costs. This led to consolidation, buy outs and discontinuations in the Indian airline industry. In 2007, Air Sahara and Air Deccan were acquired by Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines respectively. Paramount Airways ceased operations in 2010 and Kingfisher shut down in 2012. AirAsia India, a low-cost carrier operating as a joint venture between Air Asia and Tata Sons launched in 2014. Vistara, another carrier was established as a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. As of 2013–14, only IndiGo and GoAir were generating profits. [17] GoAir ceased operations in May 2023.

Aviation economy

Market size

India is the world's third-largest civil aviation market (as of January 2018). [1] It recorded air traffic of 131 million passengers in 2016. [18] The market is also estimated to have 800 aircraft by 2020. [19]

In 2015, Boeing projected India's demand for aircraft to touch 1,740, valued at $240 billion, over the next 20 years in India. This would account for 4.3 per cent of global volumes. According to Airbus, India will be one of the top three aviation markets globally in the next 20 years. Airbus is expecting an annual growth rate of over 11 per cent for the domestic market in India over the next ten years, while the combined growth rate for domestic and international routes would also be more than 10 per cent. [20]

The table shows the air passenger traffic in India with the financial year ending in March: [21]

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Total passengers77.488.998.998.2103.8115.8135158.4183.9204.220262.1105.4
Domestic passengers45.353.860.857.960.770.185.2103.7123.3140.3141.253.384.2
International passengers32.135.138.140.343.145.749.854.760.663.960.88.821.2

This is the domestic market share of airlines across India in August 2023 by passengers carried: [5]

Domestic market share
IndiGo63.3%
Air India9.8%
Vistara9.8%
AirAsia7.1%
SpiceJet4.4%
Akasa Air4.2%

Future

UDAN-RCS scheme

To increase the number of operational airports, number of operational airports with scheduled flights, number of routes, number of flyers and to reduce the cost of flying, the Government of India launched UDAN-RCS scheme from 2016, which increased number of operational airports from 49 to 70 within first round that was awarded in April 2017, several more rounds were awarded in Dec 2017, and many more rounds are planned later in 2018 and 2019 with number of operational airports expected to go to 150 or even more. [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27]

FDI

With a view to aid in modernization of the existing airports to establish a high standard and help ease the pressure on the existing airports, 100% FDI under automatic route has now been allowed in Brownfield Airport projects. This move would also serve in further developing the domestic aviation infrastructure. Further, FDI limit for Scheduled Air Transport Service/ Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline and regional Air Transport Service has been raised from 49% to 100%, with FDI up to 49% permitted under automatic route and FDI beyond 49% through Government approval. For Non-Resident Indians (NRI's), 100% FDI will continue to be allowed under automatic route. However, foreign airlines would continue to be allowed to invest in capital of Indian companies operating scheduled and non-scheduled air transport services up to the limit of 49% of their paid up capital and subject to the laid down conditions in the existing policy. Increasing the FDI limit for these aviation services shall not only encourage competition by lowering prices but shall also accord choice to consumers.

MRO

The civil aviation sector in India, which till now was dependent on foreign countries for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, is planning to have indigenous facilities. [28] The Government of India is planning to develop a sustainable air network in over 400 tier-2 cities across India with an estimated expenditure of ₹50 crores. [29]

Vision 2040

The Ministry of Civil Aviation released a report entitled "Vision 2040" on 15 January 2019 outlining a roadmap for the future of civil aviation in India. The report projects that air passenger traffic will increase sixfold to 1.1 billion by 2040 including 821 million domestic and 303 million international passengers. The report estimates that a total of 2,359 aircraft would be required to server passengers in March 2040. The government expects air cargo movement to quadruple to 17 million tons in 2040. The Ministry projected that the number of airport in India would rise from 101 in January 2019 to around 190–200 by March 2040 and an estimated 150,000 acres of land and US$40–50 billion of capital would be required for construction. The government proposed creating a $2 billion fund to help support low-traffic airports. The report also targets establishing an aircraft manufacturing base in India by 2040. [30] [31]

Management

Regulations

The industry is governed by the provisions of Aircraft Act. [32] [33] According to the '5/20 rule,’ all airlines in India need five years of domestic flying experience and at least 20 aircraft in its fleet in order to fly abroad. [34] The proposal to review or scrap the 5/20 rule had come up during the tenure of former aviation minister Ajit Singh and around the same time when Tata Group evinced interest in investing in airline sector. [35]

Regulations requiring hand baggage tags to be stamped by security personnel at all airports was introduced from 1992. [36] Between 15 and 21 December 2016, the CISF conducted a week-long trial at 6 airports during which all domestic passengers would be exempted from the stamping requirement. [37] Civil aviation security regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) announced on 23 February 2017, that stamping baggage tags was no longer required at seven airports – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Cochin. [38] The Ministry of Civil Aviation intends to gradually eliminate the requirement from all airports. [39]

National Civil Aviation Policy 2016

The Government of India released the National Civil Aviation Policy on 15 June 2016. The NCAP 2016 covers the broad policy areas, such as Regional connectivity, Safety, Air Transport Operations, 5/20 Requirement for International Operations, Bilateral traffic rights, Fiscal Support, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, Air-cargo, Aeronautical 'Make in India'. The broad key features of the NCAP are :

Partnerships

India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and United States Technical Development Agency (USTDA) signed the Grant Agreement for India Aviation Safety Technical Assistance Phase II on 9 February 2016. Under the agreement, USTDA will partially fund improving systems at the DGCA. While USTDA's assistance will be of $808,327, contractor firm The Wicks Group (TWG) would share the cost of assistance at $75,000. [41]

Security

The security of Indian airports is ensured by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) through its Airport Sector. [42] Three Indian aircraft have been hijacked: 1971 Indian Airlines hijacking (1971), Indian Airlines Flight 427 (1993) and Indian Airlines Flight 814 (1999).

Social and environmental responsibility

Solar panels at the Cochin International Airport, the world's first airport fully powered by solar energy Solar cells near cargo terminal.jpg
Solar panels at the Cochin International Airport, the world's first airport fully powered by solar energy

Travel by air has significant environmental impacts. Construction of new airports may require land acquisition, and can be mired in controversies, as happened in the case of the Aranmula International Airport.

The world's first airport fully powered by solar energy is at Kochi. [43] Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi is a "carbon neutral" airport. [44]

As of October 2016, India is not a signatory to the UN supported 'Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation' (CORSIA). 66 countries contributing more than 85% of international aviation activity has decided to voluntarily participate in this mechanism from the introductory phase itself. [45] [46]

New constructions in some of the airports such as Chandigarh [47] and Vadodara [48] have adopted green building features.

Drones

India updated its national drone policy in August 2021. [49]

Organizations

Ministry of Civil Aviation

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) of Government of India is the nodal Ministry responsible for the formulation of national policies and programmes for development and regulation of civilian aviation, and for devising and implementing schemes for the orderly growth and expansion of civilian air transport. Its functions extend to overseeing airport facilities, air traffic services and carriage of passengers and goods by air. The Ministry also administers implementation of the 1934 Aircraft Act and is administratively responsible for the Commission of Railways Safety.

The ministry also controls aviation related autonomous organisations like the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi and Public Sector Undertaking - Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited. [50]

DGCA

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the national regulatory body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This directorate investigates aviation accidents and incidents. [51] The government of India is planning to replace the organisation with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), modelled on the lines of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). [52]

Airports Authority of India

AAI's implementation of Automatic Dependence Surveillance System (ADSS), using indigenous technology at Kolkata and Chennai Air Traffic Control Centres, made India the first country to use this technology in the Southeast Asian region, thus enabling air traffic control over oceanic areas using a satellite mode of communication. Performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures have already been implemented at Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad Airports, and are likely to be implemented at other airports in a phased manner. AAI is implementing the GAGAN project in technological collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), where the satellite-based system will be used for navigation. The navigation signals thus received from the GPS will be augmented to meet the navigational requirements of aircraft.

AAI has four training establishments: the Civil Aviation Training College (CATC) at Allahabad; the National Institute of Aviation Management and Research (NIAMAR) at Delhi; and the Fire Training Centres (FTC) at Delhi and Kolkata. An Aerodrome Visual Simulator (AVS) has been provided at CATC, and non-radar procedural ATC simulator equipment is being supplied to CATC Allahabad and Hyderabad Airport. AAI has a dedicated Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) with a fleet of three aircraft fitted with flight inspection systems to inspect Instrument Landing Systems up to Cat-III, VORs, DMEs, NDBs, VGSI (PAPI, VASI) and RADAR (ASR/MSSR). In addition to in-house flight calibration of its navigational aids, AAI undertakes flight calibration of navigational aids for the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other private airfields in the country.

AAI has entered into joint ventures at the Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Nagpur airports to upgrade these airports.

Infrastructure

Civil Aviation Parks

Several Integrated Aviation-industrial parks, for aerospace training, research, manufacturing, Maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) and Fixed-base Operations (FBO) integrated international aviation hub and aerospace industrial hub, are in the process of being set up, such as in Hisar [53] [54] [55] and Gujarat. [56]

Airports

While there are 346 [57] civilian airfields in India – 253 with paved runways and 93 with unpaved runways, only 132 were classified as "airports" as of November 2014. [58] Of these, the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Pune handle most of the traffic. The operations of the major airports in India have been privatised over the past five years and this has resulted in better equipped and cleaner airports. The terminals have either been refurbished or expanded.

India also has 33 "ghost airports," which were built in an effort to make air travel more accessible for those in remote regions but are now non-operational due to a lack of demand. The Jaisalmer Airport in Rajasthan, for example, was completed in 2013 and was expected to host 300,000 passengers a year but has not seen any commercial flights take off till 2017,After UDAN – RCS scheme Jaisalmer Airport get its first commercial flight to Delhi and till now there are around 5 destination connected through Jaisalmer. [59]

Length of runwaysAirports
with paved
runways [57]
Airports
with unpaved
runways [57]
3,047 m (10,000 ft) or more211
2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft)593
1,524 to 2,438 m (5,000 to 8,000 ft)766
914 to 1,524 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft)8238
Under 914 m (3,000 ft)1445
Total25393

Heliports

As of 2013, there are 45 heliports in India. [57] India also has the world's highest helipad at the Siachen Glacier a height of 6400 metre (21,000 ft) above mean sea level. [60]

Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited is a public sector company that provides helicopter services to ONGC to its off-shore locations, and also to various State Governments in India, particularly in North-east India. [61]

Airlines

There are a total of 22 airlines which are operational in India as of 2015.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indira Gandhi International Airport</span> International airport in Palam, Delhi, India

Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of 5,106 acres (2,066 ha), is situated in Palam, Delhi, 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of the New Delhi Railway Station and 16 km (9.9 mi) from New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport of India in terms of passenger traffic since 2009. It is also the busiest airport in the country in terms of cargo traffic. In the financial year of 2020, the airport handled 6.73 crore passengers, the highest ever in the airport's history. As of 2022, it is the seventh busiest airport in the world, as per the latest rankings issued by the UK-based air consultancy firm, OAG. It is the second busiest airport in the world by seating capacity, having a seating capacity of over 36 lakh seats, and the busiest airport in Asia by passenger traffic, handling over 3.7 crore passengers in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvananthapuram International Airport</span> International airport serving Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, is an international airport that serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and the fifth international airport of India, officially declared in 1991. It is the operating base of Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and SpiceJet. Spread over an area of 700 acres (280 ha), the airport is approximately 3.7 km (2.3 mi) due west from the city centre and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, 16 km (9.9 mi) from Kovalam beach, 13 km (8.1 mi) from Technopark and 21 km (13 mi) from the under-construction Vizhinjam International Seaport. It shares a visible proximity to Shankumugham Beach making it the nearest airport to the sea in India, just about 0.6 miles away from the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport</span> International airport serving Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an international airport serving Kolkata and the Kolkata Metropolitan Region. It is the primary aviation hub for eastern and northeastern India. It is located approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the city centre. The airport is locally known as Kolkata Airport and Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in 1995 after Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement, from Bengal. The airport's IATA code CCU is associated with "Calcutta", the former legal name of the city. Opened in 1924, Kolkata Airport is one of the oldest airports in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport</span> International airport serving the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India

Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport is an international airport serving Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is located at Raja Sansi, 11 km (7 mi) north-west from the city centre. It is named after Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru and the founder of Amritsar. The airport is the largest and the busiest airport of Punjab. It is the second-largest airport in Northern India after Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The airport was the 3rd fastest-growing airport in India during the fiscal year 2017–18. It is a hub of cargo movements, domestically and internationally. The airport is ranked the 6th-best regional airport in India and Central Asia in 2019 and 2020 by Skytrax. The airport is awarded as the best airport in Asia-Pacific in 2020 by Airports Council International.

HAL Airport is an airport that serves Bangalore, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located about 12 km east of the city centre, it has one runway and operates 24/7. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a state-owned defence company, owns the airfield and runs a testing facility in conjunction with the Indian Armed Forces. The airport also caters to non-scheduled civilian traffic, including general, business and VIP aviation. For over 60 years, it received all domestic and international flights to the city; the Airports Authority of India shut down its civil enclave, officially known as "Bangalore International Airport", upon the opening of the Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mangalore International Airport</span> Airport in Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Mangalore International Airport is an international airport serving the coastal city of Mangalore, India. It is one of only two international airports in Karnataka, the other being Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore. Mangalore International Airport is the second busiest airport in Karnataka. In addition to domestic destinations, flights depart daily for major cities in the Middle East. The airport was named Bajpe Aerodrome, when it opened on 25 December 1951 by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who arrived on a Douglas DC-3 aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kadapa Airport</span> Airport of Andhra Pradesh, India

Kadapa Airport is a domestic airport serving Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located 12 km (7.5 mi) from the city, and is spread over 669.5 acres (270.9 ha) of land. It has been upgraded at a cost of ₹ 42 crore. The upgraded airport was inaugurated on 7 June 2015 by the then Minister of Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The terminal building has a capacity to handle 100 peak hour passengers at a time and the apron can accommodate two ATR-72 type aircraft.

Tezu Airport is a domestic airport serving the city of Tezu and adjoining Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which upgraded it to handle ATR-72 aircraft with night-landing facility. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the upgraded airport on 9 February 2019. Scheduled commercial flights commenced from 19 August 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belgaum Airport</span> Airport in Belgaum, Karnataka, India

Belgaum Airport, also known as Belagavi Airport, is a domestic airport serving Belgaum, Karnataka. The current integrated terminal building was inaugurated by the then Minister of Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 14 September 2017. Near the airport, there is an Indian Air Force station, where new recruits receive basic training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaisalmer Airport</span> Airport of Rajasthan, India

Jaisalmer Airport is a domestic airport serving Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. It is located 12.6 kilometres (7.8 mi) from the city centre. The airport operates as a civil enclave on an Indian Air Force base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport</span> Airport serving Nanded, Maharashtra, India

Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Airport is a domestic airport serving the city of Nanded, in the state of Maharashtra, India. It was inaugurated on 4 October 2008 by former Minister of Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, and the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, with Kingfisher Airlines flying a special commemorative flight to Nanded airport using its ATR-72 turboprop aircraft. It is named after Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and the last Sikh Guru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonari Airport</span> Airport in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

Sonari Airport, also known as Jamshedpur Airport, is a domestic airport in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India, owned by Tata Steel. It is located approximately 4.4 km (2.7 mi) from the city centre. It is the main airport serving the city of Jamshedpur and adjoining regions. The airport was in commercial operations until 2016, when the operations from the airport was ceased. After efforts taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of Jharkhand and Tata Steel, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted licence to the airport for public use on 25 January 2023. It reopened for commercial operations between Kolkata and Bhubaneswar from 31 January 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pondicherry Airport</span> Airport in Puducherry, India

Pondicherry Airport is a domestic airport serving the union territory of Puducherry, India. It is located at Lawspet, situated 8.1 km (5.0 mi) from the international community of Auroville. The airport has scheduled flights and operations of the local flying training school. In 2007, the Government of Puducherry decided to expand the airport to accommodate larger aircraft and commissioned a new terminal building. The new terminal was inaugurated on 18 January 2013, with the arrival of a SpiceJet flight from Bengaluru. After a gap of three years, the airport was operationalised again under the UDAN scheme in August 2017, with daily flights to Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bareilly Airport</span> Domestic airport in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India

Bareilly Airport is a domestic airport serving Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India at Indian Air Force's Trishul Air Base in Izzatnagar, located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north from the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalgaon Airport</span> Airport in Maharashtra, India

Jalgaon Airport is a domestic airport located off National Highway 753F southeast of the city of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, India. It had flights to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Nanded, and Kolhapur operated by TruJet. Jalgaon Airport is 47 km away from the Ajanta Caves for which it is its closest airport. Jalgaon Airport has a Flight Training Institute run by Skynex Aviation. Also very soon Jalgaon Airport is going to have Helicopter Pilot Training Institute. Jalgaon airport is a ATC controlled Airport with Night Landing Facility. Currently the Airport serves Private Chartered Flights.

Bathinda Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base serving the city of Bathinda and the Malwa region in Punjab, India. It is located 26 kilometres (16 mi) north-west of the city in Bhisiana and near the village of Virk Kalan. The airport operates commercial flights under the Airports Authority of India as a civil enclave of the Bhisiana Air Force Station. Alliance Air was the only commercial airline that operated flights from the airport to Delhi from December 2016 till 2020. Since then, the airport remained inactive, until when in September 2023, FlyBig, restarted flight operations by starting flights to Ghaziabad and later to Dehradun from 18 September 2023.

Aviation in India can be broadly divided into military and civil aviation. India has an extensive civilian air transportation network and is amongst the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UDAN</span> Indian airport development plan

Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik, known by its acronym UDAN-RCS is a regional airport development program of the Government of India and part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of upgrading under-serviced air routes.RCS scheme consists of setting up Greenfield airports and as well as upgradation of Brownfield airports. Its goal is to make air travel affordable and improve economic development in India. At the beginning of the scheme, out of a total of 486 airports, 406 were under-serviced and only 27 were well-served; out of 97 non-RCS airports only 12 were operational. The UDAN scheme was created to add to this number by expediting the development and operationalization of India's potential target of nearly 425 unserved, under-served, and mostly underdeveloped regional airports with regularly scheduled flights. However, several issues and criticisms of its poor infrastructure, dominance by larger airlines, degradation of regional airlines, and slow implementation have plagued the scheme. In October 2023, India has 149 operational airports for civil aviation, including 30 international, 12 customs, 107 domestic, and few more civil aviation enclaves within military air bases. India is also planning to build the second airports in the big cities to decongest, 6 by 2030, 15 by 2040 and 30 plus by 2047.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darbhanga Airport</span> Domestic airport in Darbhanga, Bihar, India

Darbhanga Airport is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force Station, serving Darbhanga, Bihar, India. It is located just at the outskirts of the city near the NH-105 and NH-57 highways, which passes through Darbhanga. The airport is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The foundation stone for the airport was laid by the then Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, and the then Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu, in the presence of the State Civil Aviation Minister, Jayant Sinha, on 24 December 2018. After efforts taken by the then Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri. Commercial flights started on 8 November 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindon Airport</span> Domestic airport in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Hindon Airport, also spelled Hindan Airport, is a domestic airport and an Indian Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, operated by the Airports Authority of India at Hindan Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. It is the second commercial airport serving the National Capital Region after Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 "In next 6-8 months, we expect to get bids for Air India: Jayant Sinha". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. "Blog | National Postal Museum". postalmuseum.si.edu. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. "Welcome to Air India". www.airindia.in. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012.
  4. "Fleet Details". Official webpage of Air India. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  5. 1 2 "India's air traffic rises 22%, IndiGo continues to lead market share at 63%". cnbctv18.com. 14 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  6. Gupta, Surajeet Das (23 January 2018). "With nearly 47,500 flights, Mumbai-Delhi is world's third busiest air route". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  7. "India now world's third largest domestic aviation market: Scindia". Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  8. "Notebandi fails to impact international travel – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "PIB English Features". PIB.nic.in. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  10. Ranter, Harro. "Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Operator index > India > Handley Page Indo-Burmese Transport". aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  11. Bhargava, Kapil. "Beginning of Aviation in India" (PDF). bharat-rakshak.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. "Boeing Gets 68 Plane Order from Air-India". Fox News. 11 January 2006. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  13. "Airbus wins $2.2bn Indian order". BBC. 7 September 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  14. "New Indian Airline Orders 100 Airbus Jets for $6B". Fox News. 15 June 2005. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  15. "Kingfisher Air nets monster jumbo". Online edition of the Financial Express, dated 14 June 2005. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  16. "High fives with $3bn Kingfisher order". Flightglobal.com. 16 June 2005. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  17. Our Bureau (22 May 2014). "GoAir sees profit for second year in a row". The Hindu Business Line. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  18. Shukla, Tarun (11 April 2017). "India climbs to fourth spot in 2016 global air traffic rankings". Mint. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  19. Aviation, Make in India, archived from the original on 1 November 2015, retrieved 18 November 2016
  20. "'India emerging biggest aircraft market'". Business Standard News. 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  21. "India: air passenger traffic 2022". Statista. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  22. "GoI AAI's RCS UDAN document (final version), October 2016" (PDF). AAI.aero. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  23. "Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik : Civil Aviation Ministry's Regional Connectivity Scheme "UDAN" Launched Today". Press Information Bureau. Government of India. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 6 November 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  24. Shukla, Tarun (6 March 2017). "Govt clears Rs4,500 crore for 50 regional airports under Udan scheme". LiveMint.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  25. "UDAN: Govt links airlines' performance to award of more routes". The Economic Times. 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  26. "Udan scheme round-II: Government receives 141 proposals for air routes". Zee Business. 15 November 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  27. Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Civil Aviation – Government of India. October 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  28. "Civil Aviation Ministry to Give a Boost to Indigenous MRO Services", The New Indian Express , 3 February 2016, archived from the original on 4 February 2016
  29. "Air connectivity for tier-2 cities soon, says MoS Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma", India Today , 9 February 2016[ permanent dead link ]
  30. Chong, Aaron (15 January 2019). "Indian government draws up new civil aviation roadmap to 2040". Flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  31. "Indian air traffic to cross 1 bn footfalls by 2040: Ministry of Civil Aviation". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  32. "GoAir, IndiGo, AirAsia increase baggage fee", The Hindu , 22 July 2016
  33. "Centre has powers to fix excess baggage rates: DGCA to Delhi HC", Live Mint , 13 July 2016, archived from the original on 15 July 2016, retrieved 22 July 2016
  34. "Raju questions 5/20 rule", The Hindu , 23 January 2016
  35. "Civil Aviation Ministry 'Tweaking' International Flying Norms?", The New Indian Express , 19 January 2016, archived from the original on 15 February 2016
  36. Jha, Somesh (22 February 2017). "At 4 airports, handbags to go tag-free". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  37. "No security tags required for cabin bags at six Indian airports from Dec 15". Hindustan Times. 14 December 2016. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  38. "You no longer need a security stamp on your hand baggage tag at these 7 airports". hindustantimes.com. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  39. "No stamping of hand bags at seven airports – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  40. "Govt releases National Civil Aviation Policy; impact of FDI in Aviation sector". www.indiainfoline.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  41. "US agency to fund India's aviation safety upgrade", Business Standard , New Delhi, 9 February 2016, archived from the original on 16 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  42. "Airport security: A safety check for better co-ordination", The Indian Express , 10 February 2016, archived from the original on 10 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  43. "CIAL". CIAL.aero. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  44. "The news and events page on the website has a list of upcoming and previous events along with the media release, which is in a categorized manner since 2010". www.NewDelhiAirport.in. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  45. "Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)". www.icao.int. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  46. "Historic agreement reached to mitigate international aviation emissions". www.ICAO.int. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  47. "first airport to achieve 4-star GRIHA rating" (PDF). teriin.org. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  48. "NBM Media". www.NBMCW.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  49. Bose, Joydeep (26 August 2021). Chaturvedi, Amit (ed.). "India notifies Drone Rules 2021, license regulations eased: 10 points". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  50. "Organisational Setup". civilaviation.gov.in. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012.
  51. Pilot's checklist (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2009, retrieved 18 November 2016
  52. "Aviation Ministry moots to replace DGCA with a Super-regulator". India Today. 10 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  53. Mohan, Vijay (1 August 2016). "Army's helicopter repair hub likely to come up in Hisar". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  54. "Development of international airport at Hisar on fast track". India Today. 4 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  55. Deswal, Deepender (29 May 2015). "State shelves Hisar airport project". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  56. "Gujarat to set up India's first civil aviation park", International Business Times , 8 February 2016, archived from the original on 9 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  57. 1 2 3 4 "CIA —The World Factbook – India". Central Intelligence Agency. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  58. "Draft Civil Aviation Policy -Stakeholders consultation" (PDF). civilaviation.gov.in. 10 November 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  59. "Modi's bumbling aviation boom". The Economist. 21 September 2015. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  60. Nick Easen (17 September 2003). "Siachen: The world's highest cold war". CNN Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
  61. "Civil Aviation". Government of India Portal. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.