The boom in the domestic airline industry will continue for at least another one year with passenger traffic likely to grow at 20-30 per cent.
This is the opinion of more than 60 per cent of the chief executive officers who participated in a snap poll conducted by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA).
While declining to divulge which airlines were more optimistic on passenger growth prospects, sources said that the meeting where the poll was carried out was attended by officials of the eight domestic airlines including the Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, Mr V. Thulasidas.
The growth of the industry could be faster if steps were taken to bring down the cost of aviation turbine fuel as also develop airport infrastructure, the CEOs felt. A majority of those present were of the opinion that three-to-five years was a realistic time frame for improvement in airport infrastructure in the metro cities, while it would take one-to-three years for the similar development at airports in non-metro cities.
There was also a feeling that the current Government policy of not allowing two airports in a city needed to be reviewed.
Business Line
Monday, November 05, 2007