India currently has 5 international
and 88 domestic airports. The annual growth rate in airline passenger
traffic for the period 1997-2000 is expected to be about 7% for
international travelers and 10% for domestic, reaching a total of
around 60 million passengers per year by the turn of the century.
Along with this, air cargo is expected to grow at least 12% annually
to close to 5.6 million tons by 2000.
The Air Corporation Act, 1953,
repealed on March 1, 1994, ended the monopoly of Indian Airlines and
Air India over scheduled air transport services. Private operators who
were operating as air taxis, have been granted the scheduled airlines
status. In addition, 21 air taxi operators have been given the permit
for charter/non- schedule air transport services.
India’s airports are in urgent
need of modernization in equipment and services, terminal technologies
and transport facilities. Specific investment opportunities include:
- expansion of import and export
wings at international airports
- building of new, integrated cargo
and airfreight terminals
- building of common user domestic
terminals at all international airports
- introduction of elevating transfer
vehicles with stacker systems
- introduction of electronic data
interchange at all airports to enable handling of international
cargo
