Today the Indian aviation industry stands as one of the fastest-growing aviation industries in the world despite recent changes in air travel volumes. The industry witnesses a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent through 454 airports and airstrips around the country. India today has 16 designated international airports which has lead to a rapid increase in air traffic.

The Indian aviation sector witnessed significant liberalization post 1991. This has resulted in a rapid transformation of the aviation industry in India. From being primarily a government-owned industry, the Indian aviation industry is now dominated by privately owned full service airlines and low cost carriers. Private airlines account for more than 75 per cent of the domestic sector.

All of this makes India the 9th largest aviation market in the world. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, approximately 29.8 million passengers traveled to/from India in 2008, showing a surge of 30% from 2007, this was despite a significant downfall in passenger volumes, world over.

Further statistics revealed that the air traffic in August 2009 was a double digit figure. The domestic airliners flew 3.67 million passengers in August 2009, as against 2.92 million in the corresponding period of 2007, up by 26%.

The boom in the aviation sector in India can be gauged by the fact that in one year, the number of people seeking pilot licenses and airhostess training has multiplied three times. In April 2005, it was 300. In April 2006, the number rose to 1045. Indian airlines placed orders for over 400 aircraft worth a whopping $30 billion for its operational requirements. That shows a requirement of 5600 pilots, 19000 airhostess or cabin crew, 24000 technicians, 36000 ground handling crew and various other related vacancies.

And these aviation industry vacancies are all fresh vacancies without including vacancies that may come up in the existing aircrafts.

Also the pay packages offered by the various Indian airlines have also seen an upward trend due to very few number of trained pilots and cabin crew availability.

The sudden boom in Indian aviation has caught even the normally market savvy global aerospace manufacturers unawares. Recently, both Boeing and Airbus said they had underestimated Indian growth.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) manages total 122 Airports in the country, which include 11 International Airports, 94 domestic airports and 28 civil enclaves. Top 5 airports in the country handle 70% of the passenger traffic of which Delhi and Mumbai together alone account for 50%. Passenger and cargo traffic has growth at an average of about 9% over the last 10 years.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is set to spend over US$ 1.02 billion in 2010, towards modernization of non-metro airports. AAI is planning the city-side development of 24 airports, including those at Ahmadabad and Amritsar.

All of this makes it very clear that the only way for the Indian aviation industry is moving upwards.