Experts say the country’s aviation sector holds vast untapped potential, with just 100 million of India’s 1.2 billion people taking to the skies last year. But they warn that India’s rickety infrastructure could hold back future growth, with just 90 of the country’s more than 460 airports currently operational. That is because most airlines opt to increase flights to popular locations rather than adding new routes, analysts say. KPMG and industry body Ficci recently named 44 such airports that could quickly be brought into use in a research report. High fuel import taxes mean that about 50% of an Indian airline’s costs go towards fuel, while a scarcity of pilots has pushed up salaries to global levels.

Source: Mint January 15, 2017 05:09 UTC