Regional airlines policy a non-starter in Delhi, Mumbai

New Delhi: Infrastructure crunch in Delhi and Mumbai airports is now setting alarm bells ringing among private players who want to make the most of the ongoing aviation boom. With both these airports in no position to handle any more small planes, the recently cleared policy for regional airlines has been a non-starter in north and west India where Delhi and Mumbai are the bases. Almost all applications for regional airlines are for south and northeast India.
The Bird Group, a leading provider of IT services to travel industry, is now closely watching the pace of development at IGI to see when the third runway is ready. "Had infrastructure been in place, we would have launched our regional airline for the north immediately. Now the airline should take wings in 2009. There's no point having a 30-minute flight from some city to Delhi and then hover at IGI for about an hour," said Ankur Bhatia, the group's executive director.
Delhi airport expects to get an additional runway by next summer and that may solve air traffic congestion to some extent.
The real alarm bells are ringing in Mumbai as the Navi Mumbai airport - the only hope for easing the city's notorious congestion — has now hit the coastal regulation zone hurdle.
What worries aviation industry in Mumbai is that all alternate sites talked about for Mumbai like Thane are still a distant dream.
03/10/07 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Oct 2007, General Aviation Oct 2007, New Oct 2007, Regional Airlines Oct 2007