Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Thursday (October 24) said that the country may require an additional 4,000 aircraft over the next two decades while highlighting the immense growth potential of India’s civil aviation sector. The aviation minister also stated that around 200 new airports are anticipated to be developed within this timeframe.
Currently, Indian airlines operate about 800 planes, with over 1,200 aircraft on order. Over the past decade, the number of airports in the country has doubled to 157, and 50 more airports are expected to be built within the next five years.
“In the next 20 years, we might need another 4,000 aircraft to cater to the demand of the Indian aviation sector,” Naidu said, underscoring the importance of expanding the country’s airport infrastructure. He also highlighted the role of airports as hubs for job creation, economic activity, and commerce.
Indian aviation sector’s fast-paced growth
India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets globally. Naidu made these remarks during the inauguration of the Airbus India and South Asia Headquarters and Training Centre in New Delhi.
“With expanding air travel, the stress on pilots, both physical and mental, is kind of increasing…. state-of-the-art simulators being set up are going to provide a world-class training environment where pilots can practice complex procedures in a very realistic environment,” Naidu added.
The minister also pointed to ongoing efforts to improve ease of doing business and long-term plans to design and manufacture aircraft domestically.
Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam noted that air passenger traffic in India, which reached 220 million last year, is expected to double in the next five years.
The new Airbus center will function as a hub for pilot and maintenance training, equipped with four A320neo Full Flight Simulators (FFS).