The inaugural ET Infra Air Summit 2025, held in New Delhi, brought together leading voices from India’s aviation ecosystem to reflect on the opportunities and challenges shaping the industry’s future. For the global aviation community and ACI members, the discussions highlighted two critical themes: infrastructure expansion and workforce skilling.
Strengthening India’s Aviation Backbone
In his keynote, DGCA Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai shared that India currently has around 12,500 licensed pilots, 8,000 aircraft maintenance engineers, and 4,000 air traffic controllers. While these figures demonstrate strong progress, he stressed that the demand curve is rising faster, requiring parallel growth in trained professionals to safeguard operational safety. He also noted that the DGCA has issued 108 aerodrome licenses in the past decade, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding connectivity, particularly in Tier‑II and Tier‑III cities.
Infrastructure as the Bedrock
Former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel emphasized that world-class infrastructure must remain the foundation of sustainable aviation growth. He called for accelerated development in airport facilities and urged a deeper ecosystem for MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) to prevent talent shortages and strengthen India’s position as an aviation hub.
Jewar Airport: A Catalyst for Jobs & Growth
Dhirendra Singh, MLA for Jewar, underlined the transformative potential of the upcoming Noida International Airport. Projections suggest the project could generate 1 million direct jobs and another 700,000 indirect jobs across logistics, MSMEs, and allied services. For regional economies, this marks aviation not only as a transport enabler but also as a driver of socio‑economic progress.
Collaborative Backing
The Summit was supported by industry partners including JLL, Hindustan Group of Institutions, Acumen Aviation, Amadeus, AI Engineering Services Ltd, and Vman Aero. Association partners ranged from the Aero Club of India, Federation of Indian Pilots, and Business Aircraft Operators Association to skill councils and cargo associations, all reflecting the diverse interests converging to shape aviation’s next phase.
Key Takeaways for ACI Members
For the ACI community, the Summit reinforces several action points:
- Global benchmarking: India’s growth story must be aligned with international safety and service standards.
- Skilling frameworks: Airports, regulators, and associations should jointly drive training programs to meet the demand in ATC, safety, and MRO.
- Regional development: Investments in Tier‑II/III airports can redefine connectivity while ensuring balanced economic growth.
- Public‑private collaboration: Stronger PPP models will accelerate both infrastructure build-up and workforce development.
Looking Ahead
India’s aviation sector is on the cusp of historic expansion. The ET Infra Air Summit 2025 has placed the spotlight on how infrastructure and skills will define this journey. For ACI and its members, the opportunity lies in fostering global knowledge sharing, supporting capacity building, and ensuring that airports remain the central pillar of aviation’s sustainable future.
