International airlines are considering India’s potential to become an aviation hub for Asia-Pacific (APAC)

Airlines from other countries are realising that India has the capacity to develop into a hub for aviation, linking West Asia and Africa with Asia Pacific.   

Executives from Thai Airlines and Japan Airlines agree that there is potential, but they also hint that it might take some time for India to become a hub. India is currently the world's third-largest market for civil aviation, and the government is developing plans to establish the nation as a centre for international traffic. Part of these plans includes making airports in major cities more transit-friendly in an attempt to shorten passengers transfer time.

This follows speculation that India would create a national policy to turn its airports into important global hubs. Simplifying infrastructure, immigration, and security would be necessary to compete with international hubs like Changi Airport in Singapore and Dubai. Although several Indian airports, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific area, have the potential to develop into international transfer hubs, Delhi Airport might be the first to experience these developments.

The government had established a commission to declare Delhi's airport an international hub, similar to those in Dubai and Doha. The committee, which directly answers to the minister of aviation, was in charge of losing important international airports and making recommendations for improvements to the airport. The aviation ministry's strategy to expand India's international aviation industry and establish Delhi as a major global transit hub may have included this committee's formation of the policy.

Additionally, it is consistent with the Union budget proposal for 2023–24, in which Finance Minister, Mrs.  Nirmala Sitharaman raised funding for the nation's airports to Rs. 75,000 crore (US$ 9.01 billion). This includes Rs. 15,000 crore (US$ 1.80 billion) from private sources, which would help the aviation industry in India flourish.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.