Last week, when IndiGo began flights from Bengaluru to Jabalpur, it marked Bengaluru’s 100th passenger destination and made it the leading Indian airport in domestic connectivity with 72 airports, surpassing Delhi’s 71. Cirium’s aviation analytics reveal that Delhi remains India’s largest airport with 140 destinations (71 domestic, 69 international), followed by Mumbai with 111 destinations (62 domestic, 49 international). Bengaluru claims third with 100 destinations (72 domestic, 28 international) and is expected to grow further. Hyderabad, the fourth-largest, offers 80 destinations (62 domestic, 18 international) and will expand further.
Chennai and Kolkata are tied with 62 destinations each, though Chennai focuses more on international flights. Ahmedabad, in seventh place, connects to 49 destinations, with Kochi following; Kochi’s international connectivity surpasses its domestic. Pune and Guwahati round out the top 10, with limited international reach.
Further growth is hindered by bilateral agreements, which limit international flight rights. Airports like Amritsar suffer from these constraints, while increased flights between Malaysia and India benefit less capacity-restricted airports. India aims to improve its hub status amid competition from regional giants like Dubai and Singapore. Policy changes could enhance connectivity, particularly if new points of call are introduced in bilateral agreements.
External factors, like geopolitical issues, also affect connectivity, as illustrated by Pakistan’s 2019 airspace closure impacting Delhi. IndiGo and Air India are driving network expansion, with the latter reintegrating its stations. Despite ambitions, India won’t match Dubai or Singapore’s connectivity due to larger local markets. For more updates, download the Mint News App.
Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/air-connectivity-is-spreading-but-india-airports-aviation-air-travel-domestic-airports-indigo-air-india-11726486118959.html
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