Air travel in India has become inclusive than being exclusive, says Prime Minister Modi

Air travel in India has become inclusive where common people are travelling by flight rather than being an exclusivity like a decade back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

“There was a time when air travel was only reserved for the elite in India. It was limited to big cities but the middle and poor class never could use this. But today, lot of common people are flying from tier 2 and tier 3 cities,” Modi said while addressing the second Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation Thursday.

The Prime Minister also announced the unanimous passing of the Delhi Declaration under which the countries agreed to work together to enhance regional cooperation, addressing emerging challenges, and fostering sustainable growth within the civil aviation sector.


India is a strong pillar of the aviation ecosystem and one of the top civil aviation markets. India will become one of the countries with the most air connectivity, and efforts are also on to make it a global aviation hub, the Prime Minister said.

Modi also pitched the idea of an international Buddhist tourist circuit to the representatives of the countries, saying that air connectivity will improve the lives and prospects of all countries and people.

“If the entire Asia is connected with the Buddhist circuit, it will be a win-win model for countries and people,” Modi said, suggesting that having a comprehensive approach with respect to air routes taken by professionals in the Asia Pacific region, which is also a business hub is also.

Modi said that other countries can study the Regional Connectivity Scheme which aims at subsidizing airlines to connect remote areas which otherwise would have been commercially unviable.

“Under the scheme, 14 million passengers have travelled with a lot of then having flown an aircraft for the first time. It has led to development of new roads, airports.

While we are building airports in remote areas we are also developing major airports to make them a spot for global connectivity. Our airlines know this and hence have put in an order for more than 1200 planes,” he said.

The country is also focusing on making regulations to bring in advanced air mobilities like air taxi, Modi said. Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already issued guidelines for obtaining airworthiness certification for electric air taxis.

US company Archer and Interglobe Enterprise-owner of India’s largest airline IndiGo is planning to start air taxi service in 2026.“The day is not far that travelling by air taxi will be normal in India,” Modi said.