India’s aviation sector is poised for a major upgrade to bring it at par with globally recognized transit hubs. In the past nine years, the number of airports has doubled to 148 from 74.
In February, Air India, which the Tata Group took private last year, agreed to buy 250 planes from Airbus and 220 from Boeing, worth a combined $70 billion. In June, IndiGo, the country’s biggest carrier by passengers and flights, ordered 500 new Airbus A320s.
Kapil Kaul, the chief executive of CAPA India,– Center for Asia Pacific Aviation — an advisory firm focused on aviation, says “the next two to three years are critical for achieving the quality of growth that India desires and deserves.”
CAPA India has released a report on ‘India Outbound Travel in FY2030’ based on extensive market consultation, research, and data analysis.
Some of the report’s key findings and forecasts include:
• The number of international outbound departures by Indian residents is expected to grow from 17.4 million in 2019 to over 50 million in 2030.
• As outbound leisure travel grows from 8.3 million to over 28.0 million trips during this period, expenditure on holidays (air and ground combined) is forecast to increase from $16–18 billion to $65–75 billion. • By 2030, air travel will account for just over 20% of leisure spend.
In New Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport will be ready for 109 million passengers next year, as it prepares to become the world’s second busiest, behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States, reports the New York Times. The airport is racing to get bigger. In July it added a fourth runway and opened an elevated taxiway.
The new all-bamboo Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore, transports passengers through a landscaped multimodal transit hub and terminal dubbed ‘terminal in a garden’ inspired by Bangalore’s “garden city” heritage.
Indian carriers are expected to deploy an additional 325–350 aircraft on international routes over the next 5–7 years. Indian consumers will, for the first time, have a choice between world-class Indian Full Service Carriers, Low-Cost Carriers, and leading global carriers.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
