Aviation sector facing bottleneck in procurement of new aircraft: Naidu

Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu on Sunday said India’s aviation sector is facing a bottleneck in the procurement of new aircraft, citing that while 1,700 new planes are on order, supply chain disruptions mean deliveries may take up to 15 years.

Naidu, who flagged off new flights at Bhavnagar airport in Gujarat, stated that the Government is emphasising domestic manufacturing of aircraft through joint ventures with global giants like Embraer, and a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is already underway to produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100.

The minister remarked that building airports is not difficult once land is made available, but getting aircraft has become a major bottleneck after the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that aircraft manufacturing has slowed down worldwide, affecting the speed at which planes are being delivered.

“After COVID-19, there were many difficulties in aircraft manufacturing. There was some disruption in the supply chain. So the speed and scale at which aircraft were supposed to be built have decreased,” he said. He noted that 1,700 orders for aircraft are pending, and it will take up to 15 years for them to arrive.

Naidu said Indian airline operators have placed large orders to meet rising demand, and around 30,000 pilots will be needed in the coming years to operate these aircraft. “When these aircraft start arriving, it will become easier for the airlines to fulfil the new aspirations and demands for connectivity,” he said.

To deal with the shortage, the Government is working on speeding up aircraft imports and boosting domestic manufacturing under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives, he said. The minister said the Government has been encouraging global companies to manufacture planes in India through joint ventures.

“We have tied up with Embraer to make aircraft in India. A joint venture has also been done with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to produce the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in the country,” he said, adding that such steps will help solve the problem of aircraft availability in the future.

The minister flagged off a new flight connecting Bhavnagar with Navi Mumbai by IndiGo. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expanding the aviation sector and making air travel accessible to citizens.

Since 2014, the number of airports, aircraft and passengers in India has doubled, he said, pointing out that the country’s 165th airport was recently inaugurated in Jewar, Noida.