Aviation in India can be broadly divided intomilitary andcivil aviation. India has an extensive civilianair transportation network and is amongst the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world according to theInternational Air Transport Association (IATA).
The first commercial aviation flight in India took place on 18 February 1911. In March 1953, theIndian Parliament passed the Air Corporations Act by which the eight domestic airlines operating independently at that time were merged into two government-owned entities.Air India, tracing its origins to 1932, is theflag carrier of India.Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), established in 1931, is the regulatory body responsible for civil aviation, working under theMinistry of Civil Aviation.Airports Authority of India is responsible for the management of civil aviation infrastructure. As of 2025[update], there are 33international, 11limited international airports and more than 100 domestic and private airports. De-regulation in the 1990s opened the industry to private players who cater to majority of the traffic as of 2025, handling more than 200 million air passengers annually.
TheIndian Armed Forces under theMinistry of Defence is responsible for the military operations. Royal Indian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 with the first squadron commissioned in April 1933. It later became theIndian Air Force in 1950 and is the major military air operator in India. Indian Air Force maintains afleet of various aircraft andair bases across India.Indian Army,Indian Navy andIndian Coast Guard also maintain air infrastructure in a supporting role.
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The first commercial aviation flight in India took place on 18 February 1911 fromAllahabad toNaini, a distance of 9.7 kilometres (6 miles), flown byHenri Pequet using aHumber biplane carrying 6,500 pieces of mail.[1][2] In December 1912, the Indian State Air services along with theImperial Airways introduced aLondon-Delhi flight, the first International flight to India.[3] In 1915,Tata Sons started a regular airmail service betweenKarachi andMadras marking the beginning of air transportation in the southern part of India.[3] Construction of the first civil airports atCalcutta, Allahabad andBombay started in 1924. In April 1927, a department of civil aviation was set-up with theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) set-up in 1931.[3] The Aero Club of India was established in 1927 and theMadras Flying Club in 1930.[4][5] On 15 October 1932, Indian aviatorJ. R. D. Tata flew aPuss Moth aircraft carrying mail fromKarachi toJuhu aerodrome,Bombay; and the aircraft continued toMadras, marking the beginning of Tata Airlines which later becameAir India, theflag carrier in 1946.[6][7]
TheIndian Air Force was established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of theRoyal Air Force.[8] The enactment of the Indian Air Force Act 1932 stipulated out their auxiliary status and enforced the adoption of the Royal Air Force uniforms, badges, brevets and insignia.[9][10] On 1 April 1933, the IAF commissioned its first squadron, No.1 Squadron, with fourWestland Wapiti biplanes and five Indian pilots.[11] In 1933–34, Indian Trans Continental Airways, Madras Air Taxi Services and Indian National Airways commenced operations.[3] The Indian Aircraft Act was propagated in 1934 and formulated in 1937.[3] In 1940,Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was set up atBangalore and India's first aircraft rolled out for test flight in July 1941.[3] The Indian Air Force took part in theSecond World War and was christened as Royal Indian Air Force. In 1950, when India became a republic, the prefix was dropped and it reverted to being the Indian Air Force.[12] In March 1953, theIndian Parliament passed the Air Corporations Act through which the eight independent domestic airlines in existence: Deccan Airways, Airways India, Bharat Airways, Himalayan Aviation, Kalinga Air Lines, Indian National Airways, Air India, Air Services of India were merged into two government owned entities ofIndian Airlines and Air India.[3] In 1960, the firstjet aircraft was introduced for commercial passenger traffic.[13]
In 1961, the Indian Air Force provided air support inOperation Vijay as a part ofliberation ofPortuguese colony of Goa.[14] The Indian Air Force achieved air superiority during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1965.[15] In 1966, the IAF started inductingMiG-21 andSukhoi Su-7 fighter jets.[16] Indian Air Force played a major part in theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971, carrying out strikes and providing air support forIndian Army andIndian Navy.[17][18]
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In 1972, the International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) was constituted with the National Airports Authority established in 1986. In 1995, both the agencies were merged to formAirports Authority of India, responsible for the management of civil aviation infrastructure in India.[3] Until 1990, international aviation was restricted to the airports in four major metros of India, viz.,Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. In 1991, the aviation industry was de-regulated to allow the entry of private airlines to providecharter services with East West Airlines becoming the first private airline to operate in the country after 37 years.[3] In 1994, private airlines were permitted to operate scheduled services and a number of private airlines commenced domestic operations.[3] On 11 May 1999, the Indian Air Force was called in to provide close air support to the Indian Army at the height of the ongoingKargil conflict with the use of helicopters.[19] In 2003,low cost airlines entered service in the Indian market withAir Deccan.[3] In 2004,Government of India approved setting up of the first airports with private partnership atHyderabad and Bangalore.[3] In December 2004, other Indian carriers apart from Air India, with a minimum of 5 years of continuous operations and a fleet of 20 aircraft, were permitted to operate international services.[3] In 2007, the Regional Airlines policy was formulated to allow carriers to operate service within a particular region.[3] The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) was set up in 2009.[3]
TheMinistry of Civil Aviation is responsible for civilian aviation, through regulatory oversight by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).[20] TheNational Civil Aviation Policy 2016 set the guidelines and goals for operations of civil aviation.[21] India is the third largest civilian aviation market with airlines carrying more than 200 million passengers in 2020.[22]
| Financial Year (FY) | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total passengers | 77.4 | 88.9 | 98.9 | 98.2 | 103.8 | 115.8 | 135 | 158.4 | 183.9 | 204.2 | 202 | 62.1 | 105.4 | 190.6 | 220.4 |
| Domestic passengers | 45.3 | 53.8 | 60.8 | 57.9 | 60.7 | 70.1 | 85.2 | 103.7 | 123.3 | 140.3 | 141.2 | 53.3 | 84.2 | 136 | 153.7 |
| International passengers | 32.1 | 35.1 | 38.1 | 40.3 | 43.1 | 45.7 | 49.8 | 54.7 | 60.6 | 63.9 | 60.8 | 8.8 | 21.2 | 54.6 | 66.7 |
India has various types of airports namely, designated international airports, customs airports with limited international flights,civil enclaves within airbases, domestic airports and private airports.[24][25] Airports Authority of India is the nodal authority responsible for the development and maintenance of infrastructure.[26][27] AAI administers the airports divided into four administrative regions.[28] As of December 2023[update], there are 33international and 11limited international airports apart from 100+ other domestic, private airports and civil enclaves.[29] TheUDAN regional connectivity scheme, launched in 2016, planned to develop a sustainable air network in over 400 tier-2 cities across India.[30][31]
| Rank | Name | City | State/UT | IATA Code | Passengers 2022–23 | Passengers 2021–22 | % Change | Rank Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indira Gandhi International Airport | Delhi NCR | Delhi | DEL | 65,327,833 | 39,339,998 |  66.1 |  |
| 2 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport | Mumbai | Maharashtra | BOM | 43,930,298 | 21,747,892 | 102.0 | |
| 3 | Kempegowda International Airport | Bengaluru | Karnataka | BLR | 31,911,429 | 16,287,097 | 95.9 | |
| 4 | Rajiv Gandhi International Airport | Hyderabad | Telangana | HYD | 20,996,027 | 12,429,796 | 68.9 | |
| 5 | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport | Kolkata | West Bengal | CCU | 24,68,601 | 5,12,582 | 20.8 | 1 |
As of October 2025[update], India has about ten scheduled airlines operating passenger services apart from other cargo carriers.Air India is theflag carrier withIndiGo being the largest carrier in operation with a 64.2% domestic market share.[32]Air India Express isAir India'slow-cost subsidiary.[33]
ThePresident of India serves as the ex-officiocommander-in-chief of theIndian Armed Forces, with theMinistry of Defence responsible for policy. The air arms of the armed forces are theIndian Air Force (IAF), commanded by theChief of Air Staff, and theIndian Naval Air Arm,Army Aviation Corps, andIndian Coast Guard aviation are the agencies involved in the military aviation in India. The Indian Air Force is divided into five operational and two functional commands withbases or stations across various commands.[34] The armed forces operate a fleet offighter,transport,helicopters,tankers,AWAC,reconnaissance aircraft andUnmanned aerial vehicles.[35]
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