Opening of the integrated domestic and international terminal popularly known as T3 in Delhi in 2010 is a step in the right direction. But not enough is being done to develop it as a truly global hub. Air India, which has shifted base at T3, does not have enough aircraft to give timely connectivity to international or national destinations. With just about 100 aircraft at its disposal, Air India is hamstrung. Air India has rightly jointed the Star Alliance in 2014 giving it connectivity with 26 alliance partners. But unless it becomes strong in international presence, it has little to gain. Private sector carriers are small operators and have no global reach in terms of fleet strength. They are just in the business of making quick buck and, therefore, cannot be expected to participate in the long-term planning and development of T3 as a truly hub airport. It is for the civil aviation ministry and the government to do the long-term planning.

Consider the case of Dubai and Singapore airports. Both Emirates Airways and Singapore Airlines, the respective national carriers, have adequate strength in terms of fleet size to give quick international connections. Emirates, for example, takes no more than three hours on an average to give flight connections to transfer passengers travelling to West or East of Dubai. Singapore Airlines is even faster.

The Delhi International airport (T3) has all the potential to develop as an international hub. In the year 2010 T3 handled 1.6 million transfer passengers, about 6 per cent of all passengers who travelled through this airport. This figure touched 8.4 million transfer passengers (20.5 per cent) in the year 2015. This should be more than enough reason for the government to equip T3 terminal to make it truly global hub airport.

Instead of strengthening the airport, the Airport Authority of India and the private sector GMR company, the joint venture partners of the Delhi airport T3, are involved in a wrangle over whether the CAG should be allowed to audit the airport accounts. While the AAI wants the audit, the GMR is objecting to it. For all one knows, the issue may snowball into a lengthy legal battle.

It is not just the Delhi International Airport, which needs to be developed as an international hub; the Mumbai airport (terminal 2) inaugurated in January 2014 is also in a similar situation. For that matter, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports also qualify to become hub airports. All that is required is serious long term planning and a sound civil aviation policy to boot.

India is already into open sky regime but there are various limitations, basically of India’s own making. India seeks to hedge itself against foreign airlines invasion because it has not enough fleet strength. Obviously, the foreign airlines will stand to gain if they are allowed to operate freely. The answer is to increase the number of aircraft, first for national carrier Air India, and then to other airlines and seek matching traffic rights to international destinations as per standard practice based on bilateral agreements.

India has a vast hinterland both for business and tourist traffic. Its geographical location between the East and West is an additional strength. India can far outweigh Dubai and Singapore in terms of strategic locational advantage. The government needs to properly assess and exploit the situation to its advantage.

For this, India needs to develop its major airports like Delhi (T3), Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad both as passenger and business hubs. There are large number of international travellers who like to travel both for business and pleasure. Indian airports can provide both in terms of tourism and business connectivity. Imagine the utility of Bangalore and Hyderabad airport, for example. Almost all major multinational companies of the world have their establishments in the two southern India cities.

The Narendra Modi Government’s “make in India” initiative further demands that major airports around the country are turned into business and transfer passenger hubs. The need is to strengthen our airlines in terms of fleet strength and a well laid out policy. Hopefully, the new civil aviation policy in the offing will consider all aspects before finalising the same.

The airports need adequate infrastructure like hangars for wide bodied aircraft, maintenance workshops, adjoined container depots for cargo handling and, to say the least, passenger handling equipment for large aircraft like A 380, among others.

The benefits are immense. It will create employment opportunities for the youth and business activities will increase in l areas adjoining the airport. Tourism industry will get a boost too. (IPA Service)