Top News

New Delhi: Indias largest airline Indigo has a market share of approximately 65%. However recently thousands of its flights were cancelled causing immense inconvenience to passengers. Learning from this the government has now intensified its efforts to provide more options to passengers. This week the ministry issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to two new airlines. The government believes there is room for at least 5 major airlines in India. Currently Indigo and Air India dominate the market. Union Aviation Minister announces new airlines Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that he had met with teams from new airlines in the past week that are preparing to launch in the Indian aviation sector. These include Shankh Air Alhind Air and FlyExpress. Shankh Air has already received an NOC from the government while Alhind Air and FlyExpress received their NOCs this week. The government wants to promote as many airlines as possible in the aviation market. Operating costs India is one of the worlds fastest-growing aviation markets. Schemes like UDAN have helped smaller airlines like Star Air IndiaOne Air and Fly91 play a crucial role in regional connectivity within the country and there is still considerable scope for further growth. The aviation industry wants the government to closely examine the reasons why operating costs for airlines in India are among the highest in the world. This primarily includes high jet fuel prices and taxes. Air travel not a luxury However airline closures are not just a problem in India but are happening all over the world. But the worrying aspect in India is the cost-prohibitive environment for airlines. A senior airline official said that air travel is no longer a luxury and it is necessary to rationalise costs and taxes.