INDIAN AVIATION- TRANSIT HUB
WHY IN NEWS ?
- Recently, IndiGo executive recently said Indian airports are emerging as preferred transit destinations for travellers flying from one foreign country to another.
WHAT IS TRANSIT HUB ?
- A transit hub is an airport that provides smooth connectivity from one foreign destination to another.
- Ideally, a transit hub should enable a seamless transfer experience to someone flying from country A to country C via country B.
- A transit hub often requires a stronghold of a large carrier with a widespread network so that the airline can offer one-stop connectivity to passengers with a wait time of no more than 2 to 3 hours between flights.
- Under this, a hub-and-spoke model is at play where traffic is concentrated and then distributed to final destinations at affordable price points and minimum wait period.
BENEFITS OF BECOMING A TRANSIT HUB :
- Transit hubs are no longer simply a place where the traveler arrives or departs.
- The facilities in and around the hub make the area a destination itself and can provide a ripple effect that encourages investment in the area.
- It generates new revenue streams and boosts wider prosperity.
CAN INDIA BECOME A TRANSIT HUB:
- In 2018-19, Indian airlines had a share of 40.2% of air passenger traffic to and from India, as per data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
- This share has now increased to 44% in 2022-23.
- On the other hand, the share of overseas airlines has decreased to 56%.
- In the short and medium- haul segments, India now has low- cost carriers in the international segment.
- Apart from IndiGo, Akasa is expected to fly to foreign destinations in the next few months.
- Therefore, aviation watchers believe that India has the potential to become a transit hub that is economical and offers basic services to begin with.
AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS THAT CAN CREATE INDIA A TRANSIT HUB:
- The Air India group and IndiGo are two players with the potential to turn the transit hub dream into a reality.
- The two have ordered nearly 1,500 aircraft to be delivered through the decade and beyond.
- Nearly 95% of the fleet to be inducted are narrow-body planes that can cover 5 to 8 hours of travel, including destinations in Europe.
- A group representing the government, the Delhi airport and airlines have hired a consultant to come up with best practices in terms of concentration of airlines, minimal connection time and a quick transition between a domestic and an international connection.
- Transit hubs are also being planned at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
- While flights from Africa could find an easy hub in Mumbai, those from Central Europe and West Asia can find one in Delhi.
GOVERNMENTS POLICY ON TRANSIT HUB:
- The ministry of civil aviation is keen on the idea and encouraging airlines to provide more non-stop connectivity overseas.
- Airlines and airports are also engaging to create larger spaces in airports for transit passengers.
- In April, Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told that the government has set in motion a plan to transform Indian airports into aviation hubs.
- The plan may call for the creation of dedicated terminals for international flights or for a large carrier in order to harmonize travel.
“DELHI AIRPORT”- INDIA’S FIRST TRANSIT HUB:
- The government of India intends to construct the nation’s first international aviation hub in Delhi, according to a statement from DIAL.
- This decision is encouraged by the robust recovery of both domestic and international traffic.
- To ensure that domestic and international operations complement one another and provide improved connectivity from Delhi Airport, the government has requested that Delhi Airport and some of the major airlines investigate the world’s best practices for scheduling.
- A hub demands that an airport and its primary airline or airlines be able to offer passengers smooth connections.
- Something that United at Newark, Emirates in Dubai, Qatar Airways in Doha, Singapore Airlines in Changi, and Lufthansa in Munich and Frankfurt.
- Delhi Airport is the most popular transit hub for South Asian travelers as well as Indians, thanks to its direct connections to over 142 domestic and international destinations across six continents.
- Additionally, Delhi Airport offers straightforward connectivity to Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the rest of the world, according to DIAL.
SYLLABUS: MAINS, GS-3, INFRASTRUCTURE
SOURCE: MINT
