Vision 2047: Everyone Must Fly

While many sectors have grown by leaps and bounds, a measly 4 per cent of Indians travel by air. So, what ails the world's fastest-growing aviation market?

- BY G.R. GOPINATH

THE REFORMS THAT opened up the aviation sector in 1991 and ended the monopoly of Indian Airlines and Air India changed the sector when a slew of private sector airlines were given the licence to fly. Again, when the low-cost airlines took wings in 2003 they broke the cost barrier by penetrating deep into the rural hinterland.

Sadly, while all sectors have grown by leaps and bounds, Indian aviation has become 'the sick man of India'. Thanks to choking regulations, tough entry barriers for new entrants, high fuel prices abetted by high taxes, inefficient public sector airports paving the way for monopoly airports that are extortionist in the absence of robust competition and the lack of a long-term strategic policy, growth of aviation has again slumped. Multiple airports serve cities like New York, London, Paris and Washington DC. We need privatisation but not cartelisation. Airports must compete like airlines to keep prices under check and improve the quality of service. The HAL airport in Bengaluru and the old government airport in Hyderabad should never have been closed when new airports were allowed, to ensure competition. This must be borne in mind for the future.

Our bilateral and open sky policies need to be rethought boldly so that major metro airports can become mega transportation hubs like Dubai, Singapore and London. Our existing airports shouldn't be shy of competition.