Singapore, March 21 – India is poised to witness a robust seven percent growth in air passenger traffic in 2025, driven by a rising middle class and affordable air travel options, according to Joshua Ng, Director at US-based Elton Aviation Consultancy.
Speaking optimistically about India’s aviation prospects, Ng noted that the country, which contributes around 10 percent to Asia-Pacific’s domestic and international air traffic demand, has already rebounded to pre-COVID-19 levels. As per agency report, he highlighted that this surge in demand supports India's extensive aviation infrastructure development programs, including the establishment of 150 new airports across the country.
Ng stated that the projected seven percent rise in passenger numbers for 2025 will be further supported by the substantial aircraft order book of Indian airlines, which currently stands at approximately 1,900 aircraft.
The director also emphasized that recent industry developments, such as the merger between Air India and Vistara, are expected to bring greater stability to the aviation sector. Following the merger, Air India and IndiGo are likely to emerge as the dominant players in the full-service and low-cost carrier segments, respectively.
On a global scale, Ng explained that air traffic has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the aviation industry is projected to maintain its long-term annual growth trend of four percent from 2024 to 2034. This growth will be supported by a 2.7 percent annual rise in global gross domestic product.
Ng concluded that the Asia-Pacific region will remain the world’s largest air travel market, with an estimated annual growth rate of 5.1 percent, largely fueled by increasing long-term demand from China and India.
