AVGEEK
Indian aviation in 2024: airports, aircraft makers and regional flying
The second part of Devesh Agarwal’s 2024 review turns to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports, Boeing and Airbus, regional aviation, and developments at SpiceJet and Air India.
The conversation
Episode number 21 of The Indian AvGeek features Devesh Agarwal (BLRAviation) chatting with me on the final part of the 2024 recap for Indian aviation. This week, we started with the leading airports of the country (DEL, BOM, BLR), moved to Boeing, and then Airbus as OEMs. We touched on regional aviation in the country and how 2024 was an important year for it before diving into SpiceJet and Air India.
Devesh Agarwal - @BLRAviation Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra
Key Takeaways
- Delhi’s hub location and international links, Mumbai’s capacity constraints and Bengaluru’s domestic catchment and cargo base give India’s three leading airports very different advantages.
- Agarwal argues that Bengaluru’s future airport planning should give freight and perishables greater weight, including peak-hour runway access and the operating hours of customs services.
- Boeing’s 2024 production and quality problems constrained deliveries, even as its engineering presence and available MAX aircraft supported customers in India; Airbus also faced substantial backlogs.
- The host highlights Fly91, Star Air and UDAN in a regional-aviation review, while Agarwal argues that e-commerce cargo should become a more important part of regional airlines’ business plans.
- Agarwal sees SpiceJet’s 2024 fundraising as a useful step but questions whether fresh capital alone can overcome continuing operational and competitive pressures.
- He welcomes Air India’s A350 deployment and investments in training and maintenance capacity while warning that cabin condition and integration of multiple airline cultures could undermine the turnaround.
- The debate over Delhi versus Bengaluru as a connecting hub shows why network-bank timing, geography, weather resilience and passenger experience must be analysed together.
Editorial analysis
Different airports have different bottlenecks
If the first half of the year-end review diagnosed airline operating fragility, the second asks what infrastructure and industrial capacity India needs to turn more passengers into durable economic value. Devesh Agarwal and Vishal Mehra begin with a deceptively simple airport question: which of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru is actually best positioned for the next stage of growth? The answer depends on what one is measuring. Delhi has geographic and bilateral advantages as an international hub. Mumbai has an entrenched international market and cargo strength but acute airside constraints. Bengaluru has a growing domestic catchment, high-value industrial links, perishable cargo and a passenger experience Agarwal praises. These are not interchangeable strengths.
Bengaluru’s economic catchment and cargo case
Bengaluru receives special attention because airport economics cannot be reduced to retail spend per traveller. Agarwal connects its aerospace and technology workforce to a more nationally distributed passenger catchment; he argues that a second airport could be planned around cargo and industry, particularly perishables, rather than simply duplicating the current passenger terminal. Peak slots and the limited hours of customs and support services create a practical constraint: freight’s value depends on when shipments can actually be cleared and dispatched.
Boeing, Airbus and regional connectivity
The conversation then moves to the manufacturers. Boeing’s 2024 challenges, including the Alaska Airlines door-plug incident, production quality, the machinists’ strike and leadership change, are contrasted with Airbus’s stronger delivery trajectory. Yet Agarwal resists treating India as simply an Airbus market. Boeing’s local engineering footprint and pre-existing undelivered 737 MAX aircraft offer shorter-term supply opportunities to Akasa and Air India Express. Airbus’s production commitments and A320-family backlog also constrain customers. What matters to airlines is not just which aircraft works on a route but which aircraft the manufacturer can hand over on time.
Air India, SpiceJet and the difficulty of a turnaround
The host, not Agarwal, supplies much of the regional-airline roundup, citing Fly91, Star Air, Embraer and UDAN. Agarwal then advances the cargo argument: regional carriers should look at e-commerce freight as well as passengers. The episode closes with two unresolved turnaround stories. SpiceJet’s qualified institutional placement is a necessary financial step but, in Agarwal’s view, not an operating strategy. Air India is investing in A350s, training and Bengaluru maintenance capacity, yet must still align multiple inherited cultures, upgrade ageing cabins and choose hubs that make geometric and commercial sense. Rather than a simple optimistic forecast, this is a discussion of the dependencies between networks, terminals, manufacturers, people and capital.
Questions & answers
Which airports matter most in the 2024 review?
Bengaluru had reached third position by his account, while Delhi and Mumbai retained distinct international connectivity and bilateral advantages.
What made Bengaluru’s development different?
Its engineering and technology industries underpin nationwide travel demand; its cargo market could justify more freight-focused airport capacity.
How did Boeing perform in 2024, especially in India?
Safety/production problems damaged global output, though Indian sourcing and available MAX deliveries remained strategically significant.
What was Air India’s biggest 2024 development?
Investment in A350s, MRO and training was positive, but product consistency and merger integration required attention.
Can Air India use Delhi as its global hub?
Yes to a degree, but he asks whether Bengaluru would be a better geographical and weather-resilience option for some Europe–Australia transfer flows.
Sources & attribution
Original conversation: The Indian AvGeek — Episode 21. Published 05 January 2025.
Historical context: This is an editorial analysis of a conversation recorded and released in January 2025. Guest assessments, future plans, regulatory proposals and commercial claims reflect that historical discussion and are not presented as current, independently verified developments.
Editorial method: Questions and answers are carefully edited explanatory paraphrases—not verbatim interview quotations. Commentary, figures and claims requiring updated verification should be checked against the recording and contemporaneous official sources before final public release.