India – Continuing Economic Development and its Impact on Aviation

Recent press reports reveal an aggressive Indian government policy of modernising the aviation sector and moving to upgrade the nation’s airports and supporting infrastructure, and governing legislation on the back of the country’s continued economic boom.

Some observers have commented that the policy shift is ‘too little, too late’, wryly noting that spending on aviation projects by successive governments had dwindled over many years leading the industry into decay. Perhaps more optimistically it does signal a belated recognition by Indian authorities that increasing levels of income, together with increasing foreign trade and investment, as well as the success of low cost carriers (LCCs) in the country have all combined to make an overhaul of the country’s aviation sector a necessity.