Ram Mohan Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister
India intends to expand its civil aviation industry by building hub airports throughout the country to establish an “independent and self-sufficient” international flight network that links its cities with other nations, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told businessline.
Speaking exclusively to businesslineMinister Naidu said that such a network is essential for meeting the growing aspirations of the country, which is now the fourth-largest economy in the world.
“We plan to make several hub airports across the country to develop an independent, self-sufficient international flight network that links our cities with other global destinations. In this connection, having the IATA AGM and WATS in New Delhi will go a long way in forming partnerships to develop the resilient global network that we are building,” Naidu said on the eve of the 81st IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the World Air Transport Summit (WATS), which will take place in New Delhi from June 1-3, 2025.
“PM Narendra Modi will deliver the key note address at the summit,” he said.
On plans of scaling up aviation infrastructure, the Minister pointed out that already two mega projects–theNoida and Navi Mumbai airports–were on the verge of completion. “We will be developing more airports, more water aerodromes, and more heliports and will also come up with a new version of the UDAN scheme that will promote air connectivity like never before,” he said.
New airlines
Several new airlines have commenced operations and more such entities are in the process of acquiring aircraft to start flights, he added.
“The problem is that the global supply of aircraft and engines is what is slowing our aviation growth. However, even over here, we see an opportunity to develop a manufacturing segment focused on making aircraft parts and engine components here in India, including those for drones,” Minister Naidu said.
The government is also trying to bring down the cost of aircraft financing and leasing. “We have brought in far-reaching reforms via legislation. We are also in the process of finalising the contours of developing an indigenous civilian aircraft in India and developing a globally competitive MRO sector that will reduce operational costs, thereby bringing down airfares,” he said.
India’s civil aviation sector has shown exceptional resilience, the Minister affirmed. “In the face of challenging situations, not one ultra-long-haul flight to Europe and the continental United States got cancelled,” he said.
Over the last 10 years, India has made significant moves in developing the aviation infrastructure required to sustain the growth of the sector, Minister Naidu said.
“We have developed over 85 airports in the last 10 years, operationalised airstrips, and built new terminals as well as heliports. Our airlines have ordered nearly 2,000 aircraft, and our domestic and international traffic has maintained a consistent growth rate of around 6 per cent year-on-year. On the regional segment, our UDAN connectivity scheme has benefited and made it possible for 1.5 crore men and women from the hinterland to travel via airways,” he said.
The minister pointed out that India of 2025 views air travel not as an elitist travel medium but as an essential transport mode that will enable the overall economy to sustain high growth rates.
Published on May 31, 2025
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