India's Aviation 2.0 Plan To Match World's Busiest Airports In Handling Air Traffic Takes Off
Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, and Lucknow airports are the top priorities, according to documents seen by CNN-News18.
The Narendra Modi government has a major aviation plan to increase landing and take-off capacities at Indian airports, enabling them to handle more air traffic, and revamp air traffic control (ATC) towers towards this ambitious aim.
As per documents seen by CNN-NEWS18, the government is in the process of commissioning a study of the world's busiest airports, from those in the US to Dubai and Heathrow in London, to understand their operations. The study is expected to identify innovative solutions to increase the number of safe landings and take-offs per hour at runways in India. Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, and Lucknow airports are the top priorities, according to these documents.
'The Airports Authority of India (AAI) seeks to conduct a comprehensive global study of the world's busiest and most efficient airports in respect of operational systems, technological innovations and best practices…and devise a strategy to improve operational efficiency of aircraft movements at Indian Airports," states the document seeking a consultant for the project. The AAI manages 137 airports in India, including 23 international airports, and provides air navigation services over 2.8 million square nautical miles.
The ATC towers at Indian airports will also be revamped to efficiently manage the anticipated increase in aircraft, drone operations, and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the future, as per the documents.
World's Busiest Airports
A comprehensive study of the world's busiest airports will analyse the infrastructure, systems, and processes employed. This is expected to reveal strategies and solutions to optimise runway throughput and improve operational efficiency at busy Indian airports, creating a roadmap for technology adoption and process improvements. The aim is to increase landings and take-offs per hour at airports while ensuring complete safety.
Four US airports – Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas), Denver, and Chicago O'Hare – feature among the top 10 busiest airports globally. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest in the world, handling 108 million passengers annually. Others on the list are Heathrow Airport in London, Dubai International Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Istanbul Airport, and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Delhi Airport is the only Indian airport in the top 10, with 77 million passengers in 2024. Mumbai Airport ranks 31st. The US has 15 airports in the top 50, China has 11, while India has Delhi and Mumbai.
The Study's Aim
The study will compare the performance of selected global airports, using best industry standards and practices, with Indian airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, and Lucknow. It will suggest measures to identify gaps and propose improvements tailored to the Indian context to increase air traffic movement efficiently.
The study will examine: metroplex airports handling more than 500 air traffic movements (ATMs) per day; airports using single runway operations with peak hourly movements between 45 and 60 ATMs per hour; airports using cross-runway or parallel runway operations with peak hourly movements between 45 and 50 ATMs per hour; and airports using multiple (more than two) parallel runway operations with more than 80 ATMs per hour.
A list of tools, automation systems, and communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) infrastructure/technology used at global airports will be compiled, along with a list of ground infrastructure elements that enhance capacity, efficiency, and safety. AAI will also use the study to improve its airport operations, terminal airspace operational efficiency, and air traffic services. A draft report is expected to be submitted to the AAI within six months.
First Published:
June 06, 2025, 09:20 IST
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