The center is all set to pump around over Rs 92,000 crore for the construction of new airports and the expansion of existing ones.
India Investing In Airport Expansion
According to the Civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, they expect India to have 200 airports in 2025, while 200 more airports will be developed in the next 20-25 years.
It appears that India’s aviation sector is set for a massive transformation considering the fact that the government is planning to invest over Rs 92,000 crore in the construction of new airports and the expansion of existing ones.
The center has an ambitious goal of having 200 operational airports by 2025, with an additional 200 expected over the next two decades, as announced by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.
The expansion is aimed at accommodating the country’s growing demand for air travel, driven by its large population and increasing economic activity.
Further, Naidu stressed the unprecedented scale of the airport infrastructure expansion, during an event hosted by the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS).
Reportedly, the country is working rapidly to meet its targets, whether it is the development of greenfield airports in underserved regions or major modernization projects in metro hubs.
This seems to be a part of a broader effort to enhance connectivity across India’s vast geographic landscape while addressing the increasing passenger traffic.
2000 Planes By 2025
In the meantime, India’s airlines have also expanded their capacity significantly as they have added nearly 9 percent more seats this year.
This is totaling 240 million seats across domestic and international routes.
Moving ahead, Naidu projected even greater growth while pointing out that with a population of 1.4 billion and a rising middle class, air traffic in India is poised for exponential expansion in the years ahead.
The airlines like IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa have placed large orders with aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing in order to meet this surge in demand.
While that being said, the total order book is expected to reach around 2,000 planes by March 2025.
But it cannot be denied that the sector is facing challenges, including issues with engine supplier Pratt & Whitney (PW), whose engine faults have grounded more than 70 IndiGo aircraft.
In another such case with Go First, another Indian airline, filed for bankruptcy last year, citing problems with PW engines that power its Airbus A320 neo fleet.
Naidu acknowledged the global nature of the issue and assured that the government is in close talks with the engine manufacturer to expedite maintenance and repair efforts.
Further stressing the urgency of getting the grounded planes back in service to enhance connectivity.
This would also bring down airfare prices in this increasingly competitive market.
