Summary
Air India CEO believes India has the potential for at least three major airport hubs to support its booming aviation industry.
- Campbell Wilson says the country’s geographical position and projected growth make it ideal for multiple hub airports.
- Air India could also play a significant role in this vision, as it has many widebody planes on order.
As Air India continues to develop its business after privatization, its current Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Wilson, thinks India could support multibed hubs in the country, given its projected aviation growth. Wilson is spearheading Air India’s growth and would like to see the country develop international hub airports like many others in the Middle East and Southeast Asia region.
Multiple airport hubs in India
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, who is overseeing Air India’s growth and development, feels that India could support at least one more hub airport in addition to Delhi and Mumbai. He said that India’s current and projected aviation growth and advantageous geographical position could easily support multiple hubs. Bloomberg quotes him as saying,
“India can be home to at least three hubs and plenty of point-to-point services. There aren’t many other markets like India in the world. Northern India has a good east to west flow, while southern India can offer an Asia to Africa or Australia-Europe flow.”
Photo: Gritsana P | Shutterstock
For any airport to become an international hub, there also needs to be a strong airline with a vast network to support operations. And Air India seems to be headed in that direction. The airline placed a massive aircraft order last year, many of which are widebody planes. Wilson added,
“At the time of privatization, Air India had 43 wide-body aircraft for a population of 1.3 billion. Singapore had 150 wide-body aircraft, Dubai had 250. That gives you a sense of how grossly underserved the Indian market was by Indian airlines.”
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Air India has placed a historical order worth $68 billion across both manufacturers.
Major hubs around India
Wilson’s assessment of India’s potential for major hubs has merit. Most flights to Europe from Delhi or Mumbai are seven to ten hours long. These airports can conveniently act as stopovers for many passengers looking to travel to East Asia. Bengaluru in South India could also be a candidate for a hub for passengers looking to connect to Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, among other countries.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Most major airport hubs around India, such as those in the Middle East (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha), attract plenty of Indian passengers as well as globally for connecting flights. Those in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Bangkok also work on the same business model.
Push for more development
Of course, all of these major hub airports around India are known for their robust infrastructure and solid hub airlines that can support such operations. With Air India strengthening its global network and airport infrastructure in India also receiving government attention, perhaps there could be hub airports of international standards in the country as well.
Photo: SNEHIT PHOTO | Shutterstock
India’s aviation minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, is also keen to see airlines and airports being developed to meet global standards. He commented last year,
“We are in talks with two to three airlines and an airport for the creation of an international hub in India. And for the creation of that hub, you got to take the volatility out of the arrival and departure plans and smoothen out that curve so that you can provide the incoming flights time to allow international departures.”
Indian Government Engages In Talks To Create Hub Airports
Could India have a hub airport like Dubai or Singapore? Only time will tell.
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