Aviation's economic impact soars, but safety concerns cast shadow
India's aviation scene is flying high—174 million passengers in 2024 made it the world's fifth-largest market.
Most of this growth comes from domestic travel, with IndiGo holding a massive 61.6% share.
But as flights take off, so do concerns about safety and how well the industry is being regulated.
Safety issues are hard to ignore
With another 2,000 aircraft on order and plans for airport expansion, the growth is real.
Still, safety issues are hard to ignore: there were 263 reported lapses in 2024 alone, plus a shortage of pilots.
Supreme Court demands response on probe calls
After June's Air India crash that took 260 lives, pressure has mounted for stricter oversight.
Civil aviation chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai noted that "India is looking at 'more responsibility, more safety oversight, more manpower,'" as fleets keep growing.
Now, the Supreme Court wants answers too and has asked for a government response to demands for an independent probe while official investigations continue.