INDIA GOES FROM TURBULENT, TOUGH TIMES TO RENEWED HOPE

India, the world's third-largest domestic aviation market, was hit by various crises last year, showing the urgent need to put in systems that ensure greater safety and compliance

- BY SHOBHA JOHN

The year 2025 has been one of the toughest for Indian aviation as it was hit one after the other by various crises.

The Air India 787-8 Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad on June 12 where 260 people lost their lives seemed a harbinger of things to come. Even as the final investigation report of the crash was awaited, the IndiGo crisis of December 2025 came as a shocker. Thousands of its flights were cancelled and passengers left high and dry because the airline failed to adhere to new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) regulations despite having enough time to do so.

This churning in the Indian aviation sector went side by side with the country being touted as the third largest domestic aviation market. With over 165 million passengers flying in its scheduled domestic sector in 2024-25, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), it is indeed a captive market for all airlines.

WINGS INDIA 2026

It is, therefore, fitting that Wings India 2026, the international aviation meet, is being held now as it hopes to pave the way for the future, be it in design, manufacturing, maintenance, innovation or sustainability. With global aviation leaders descending on Hyderabad, the event is being touted as the gateway to discovering the future of aviation in one of the world's fastest-growing markets.

However, this huge potential could be stymied by indiscipline and lack of oversight on the part of operators, making people question if safety is being compromised. This coupled with surging ticket prices whenever there is a crisis led to much angst among passengers.