Airlines
India Stop-Starts Its Way to a Brighter Aviation Future
With a total of around 700 aircraft, India’s fleet is only a fraction of China’s, at 6,000.
Boeing 787 operator Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines established in 2013, has gained a reputation for quality of service. (Image: Vistara)
Boeing 787 operator Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines established in 2013, has gained a reputation for quality of service. (Image: Vistara)

While the International Air Transport Association's 2017 projection that India would become the world's fifth-largest air transport market by 2025 and the third-largest by 2036 appears likely to lag thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, it did much to spur optimism in its aviation sector's potential. However, there remain several pitfalls ahead, including weaknesses in government policy, ease of doing business, and travel and tourism competitiveness.

Last year, the country saw total traffic fall to 115.4 million domestic and international passengers from 341 million in 2020, according to data provided by the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF). Recent forecasts indicate passenger numbers will likely fall to less than 100 million in 2022 as India continues to impose sweeping pandemic restrictions.

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