Air transport is the fastest and costliest medium of transportation. India, being a vast country having different geographical regions, makes air transport an important mode. Air transport has reduced travelling time and cutting down distances.
India, in terms of population, is a big country, and its citizens use various modes of transport for travelling from one place to another place. India presently is moving forward towards being a developed nation from a developing one; this is creating immense possibilities for air transport, because as the country will develop, so will the income of people improve, and this will cause change in transport choices of people.
Air transport is the fastest mode of transport, this increases its possibilities of development as compared to other transport. It not only helps in saving time, but since air transport makes it possible to travel to specific places, therefore, people are also attracted towards it.
Young generation of India is specially favoring air transport and since India has a huge young population, therefore, it adds to the possibilities for development of Air transport in India. Increase in industrialization and privatization in India has opened new opportunities for the development of air transport. There is an increase in use of air transport for goods transportation. Air transport is the only medium through which costly and perishable goods can be transported.
The Northern Himalayan region of India is unreachable with roads and railways, in such conditions, air transport is emerging as the most important medium of transportation in similar complex topography. India is moving towards being the trailblazer for best tourist destination, for this, air transport is playing an important role; also, tourism is helping to increase the possibilities for the development of air transportation.
Considering the vast possibilities for the development of air transportation and for promoting domestic aviation, India announced the National Civil Aviation Policy in 2016, to make India the 3 rd biggest market in terms of passenger traffic by 2022 from the current 9th position, to increase domestic passenger traffic four – fold to 300 million by 2022, to increase the number of airports to 127 by 2019 for flights, to increase the cargo by four times to 10 million tons by 2027, and to make air transport affordable for common people, to develop Green airports and helicopter ports and to recruit 3.3 lakh skilled staff by 2025, to improve ease of doing business through simplified procedures, deregulation and e-governance and to promote ‘Make in India’.
The above stated points clearly state that in future air transport will emerge as a big market and become the most important mode of transport. At present, one hour journey has been suggested as limited to Rs. 2500 and half an hour journey cost is limited to Rs 1200.00. For this, the loss suffered by airline companies is borne by central and state governments in 80 : 20 ratio.
