India’s Skies Soar, but Can Its Airports Keep Up?

By Chetna Gill

Cover Image Attribute: A screengrab of the under-construction terminal of Navi Mumbai International Airport / Source: Droneman's YouTube channel

The roar of jet engines has become a familiar soundtrack across India, a nation where the skies are no longer the domain of the elite but a bustling highway for millions. Over the past two decades, India’s aviation sector has not just grown, but skyrocketed from a modest network serving a privileged few to one of the world’s fastest-growing air travel markets. The rise of a burgeoning middle class, fueled by economic growth averaging 6-7% annually, has propelled this change. Low-cost carriers like IndiGo and SpiceJet have democratized flying, while rising disposable incomes have turned vacations and business trips into routine affairs. Yet, as passenger numbers soar—153 million annually as of 2024, with projections of 300 million by 2030—the question looms: Can India’s airport infrastructure match the ambition of its aviation dreams?
Rewind to the early 2000s, and India’s airports were a far cry from the gleaming terminals of today. Most were state-run, utilitarian facilities marked by long queues, outdated technology, and limited capacity. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, for instance, handled just 10 million passengers annually, often with creaking infrastructure. Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was notorious for congestion, its terminals struggling to accommodate even modest traffic. The liberalization of the aviation sector, coupled with economic reforms, sparked a revolution. The government opened the skies to private players and embraced public-private partnerships (PPPs) to modernize airports. By 2006, Delhi and Mumbai airports were handed over to private operators—GMR Group and GVK Group, respectively—marking a turning point. Today, Delhi’s airport is a sprawling hub, handling over 78.9 million passengers in 2024–25 and boasting world-class amenities like AeroCity — a commercial ecosystem of hotels and offices.. Mumbai, too, has shed its chaotic past, with Terminal 2’s lotus-inspired design rivaling global standards. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport have emerged as shining examples of efficiency, often ranking among Asia’s best. Since 2000, India’s airport count has grown from 90 to over 150, with passenger capacity tripling.
But numbers tell only part of the story. The boom in air travel has stretched many airports to their limits. Delhi and Mumbai, despite their upgrades, face peak-hour congestion, with aircraft circling overhead and passengers navigating crowded terminals. In 2024, Delhi reported delays averaging 20 minutes during rush hours, a symptom of slot constraints and runway bottlenecks. Cargo handling, critical for India’s e-commerce and export-driven economy, is another pain point. While Delhi and Bengaluru have dedicated cargo terminals, smaller airports like Chennai and Kolkata struggle with outdated facilities, slowing India’s logistics ambitions. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) estimates that existing infrastructure could hit capacity by 2030, a warning echoed by industry voices calling for rapid expansion. These challenges underscore the urgent need for infrastructure development to ensure a smooth and efficient air travel experience for all.
Enter the UDAN scheme, launched in 2016 under the mantra “Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik” (Let the common citizen fly). This ambitious initiative has not just connected India’s hinterlands, but it has also brought hope for the future of air travel in tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Bhopal, Udaipur, and Shillong. By subsidizing fares and incentivizing airlines to operate on underserved routes, UDAN has activated over 50 unserved or underserved airports, with 1,200 routes connecting 80 cities by 2024. Take Prayagraj, where a once-dormant airstrip now hosts daily flights, boosting tourism and business. Or consider Pakyong in Sikkim, where a new airport has slashed travel times to Kolkata from days to hours. Yet, UDAN’s success is tempered by challenges. Many regional airports lack basic infrastructure—short runways, limited parking bays, or inadequate navigation systems. Profitability remains elusive for airlines on these routes, with some discontinuing services when subsidies dry up. Still, UDAN has planted seeds of connectivity, knitting India’s diverse regions into a tighter economic and cultural fabric.
The backbone of India’s airport transformation lies in public-private partnerships. PPPs have injected capital, expertise, and efficiency into a sector once hamstrung by bureaucracy. Private operators like GMR, Adani, and Zurich Airport have revamped terminals, introduced smart technologies, and improved passenger experiences. Bengaluru’s airport, managed by Fairfax-backed Bangalore International Airport Limited, is a case study in PPP success, with its second runway and Terminal 2—dubbed the “Garden Terminal” for its green design—doubling capacity. Adani’s acquisition of six airports, including Ahmedabad and Lucknow, has sparked investments in modernization. However, PPPs aren’t a panacea. Critics argue that private operators prioritize profits over public interest, pointing to high user development fees that inflate ticket costs. The 2023 controversy over Adani’s airport contracts, amid allegations of favoritism, fueled debates about transparency. Moreover, not all PPPs deliver equally—while metro airports thrive, smaller projects often languish due to low returns.
A stark divide separates India’s metro airports from those in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad boast multi-runway facilities, advanced air traffic control, and seamless metro connectivity. In contrast, airports in cities like Patna, Jaipur, or Guwahati grapple with single runways, limited terminal space, and poor last-mile connectivity. Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, despite upgrades, saw overcrowding in 2024, with passengers complaining of long walks to gates. Tier-3 airports, like those in Hubli or Jabalpur, often lack even basic amenities like escalators or sufficient check-in counters. This disparity reflects investment priorities—metro airports, handling 70% of India’s traffic, attract the lion’s share of funds, while smaller cities scramble for scraps. Bridging this gap is critical, as tier-2 and tier-3 cities are economic engines in their own right, driving tourism, manufacturing, and services.
The road to modernizing India’s airports is fraught with obstacles. Land acquisition remains a perennial hurdle. The Navi Mumbai International Airport, conceived in the 1990s, faced delays until 2024 due to disputes over compensation and rehabilitation. Environmental clearances add another layer of complexity—wetlands, forests, and wildlife habitats often lie in the path of proposed airports, as seen in the Jewar project near Noida. Congestion, both airside and landside, plagues urban airports, with Mumbai’s single-runway operations a notorious bottleneck. Technology adoption, while progressing, is uneven. While Delhi and Bengaluru use biometric check-ins and digital air traffic systems, smaller airports rely on manual processes, slowing operations. Workforce shortages, particularly of skilled air traffic controllers and ground staff, exacerbate delays. In 2022, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) projected in 2022 that India would require 5,131 Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) in 2023—an increase of 60% over existing numbers. By 2024, this demand is expected to rise to 5,428, reflecting a 70% increase. If these positions remain unfilled, the gap could widen further as air traffic continues to grow.
India is not standing still. The government’s vision for 2030 includes doubling airport numbers to 300, with mega-projects like Jewar and Navi Mumbai set to ease pressure on Delhi and Mumbai. Green airports are gaining traction—Bengaluru’s Terminal 2 uses solar power and rainwater harvesting, while Delhi aims for net-zero emissions by 2030. Digitalization is another frontier, with DigiYatra’s facial recognition system streamlining passenger processing at 24 airports by 2025. New aviation hubs, like Hyderabad’s planned second airport, aim to decongest existing facilities. The AAI and private players are investing ₹90,000 crore ($11 billion) over the next decade, targeting new terminals, runways, and cargo facilities. International partnerships, like Zurich Airport’s stake in Jewar, bring global expertise to the table.
Yet, the question remains: Is India’s airport infrastructure keeping pace with its aviation aspirations? The progress is undeniable—world-class airports, regional connectivity, and a bold vision for the future. But the cracks are visible: congested hubs, uneven development, and systemic bottlenecks. The UDAN scheme, while transformative, needs sustainable funding to thrive. PPPs must balance profitability with affordability. Smaller cities deserve infrastructure that matches their potential. Above all, execution must match ambition—delays in projects like Navi Mumbai or Jewar erode trust and momentum. India’s skies are crowded with dreams, from business travelers to first-time fliers chasing horizons. Its airports must rise to meet them, not as mere transit points but as gateways to a nation on the move. A course correction isn’t urgent yet, but complacency could ground India’s ascent. The time to act is now—build faster, smarter, and greener, or risk leaving millions stranded at the gate.

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