India’s domestic passenger traffic set to soar to 300 million by 2030: Minister
Civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu said India is expected and is on track to get 200 airports in 2025.
New Delhi: India’s domestic air passenger traffic is expected to reach 300 million by 2030 and the government is in the process of pumping around 11 billion dollars for the construction of new airports and the expansion of existing ones, civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu said on Monday.
“Indian aviation has taken various initiatives to position the country as a global aviation hub. By the end of 2030, the domestic air passenger traffic is projected to reach up to 300 million. Identifying this opportunity the government is in the process of pumping around 11 billion dollars for the construction of new airports and the expansion of existing ones,” Naidu said.
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The minister said that the scheduled airline capacity from India is up almost 9% this year, with 240 million seats across both the domestic and international markets. “And I must say that this is just the tip of the iceberg, with over 1.4 billion people, a vast geographical expanse and growing economic corridors, India’s air traffic is geared up for a huge exponential growth in the coming future,” he said.
Speaking at a conference by the French Aerospace Industries Association, Naidu said that India is expected and is on track to get 200 airports in 2025, while 200 more airports are expected to be developed in the next 20-25 years.
“The expansion of airport infrastructure is progressing at an unprecedented scale, from greenfield airports in unserved pockets to major modernisation projects in our existing metro hubs, we are on track to have 200 operational airports by 2025,” he said.
As per the government, India currently has 157 airports, heliports and waterdromes.
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Naidu said that over the past decade, India has transformed 73 of 157 to operate entirely on green energy, positioning India as a front runner in the global race towards carbon neutrality.
“In a world where aviation contributes nearly 2% of global carbon emissions, our iconic Cochin airport in Kerala, the first airport in the world to operate solely on solar power, has set a benchmark by winning the UN Champions of Earth award in 2018,” he said.
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Asked about issues with the grounded Airbus aircraft in India, Naidu told reporters that the government was talking to the engine maker Pratt&Whitney (PW) to speed up the MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) process of the affected engines.
“It is a global problem, we are in close communication with them (PW), and we want to ensure that these grounded planes start as soon as possible. For a country like India, where the demand for air travel is growing, if more planes come into the fleet, we can offer more connectivity, and the air fares prices also get more affordable. So, it is a constant push from our side that we get the engine problem settled as soon as possible, and we are discussing it with PW,” he concluded.