Even as more and more people take to flying, issues like the global supply chain shortage and quality of service have continued to pull the sector down
In December, AirHelp ranked IndiGo 103rd out of 109 airlines in the world, based on punctuality, quality of service and compensation
Image: Nurphoto via Getty Images
It hasn’t been the best of years for Indian aviation. While passenger growth in the world’s fourth-largest economy has been picking up, with over 150 million passengers taking to the skies during the year, the global supply chain shortage has forced many aircraft to the ground as deliveries are yet to keep pace.
Even those that have been up in the air have run into trouble, most notably in the quality of flying. Among them is IndiGo that, along with Air India, control as much as 92 percent of the Indian skies. In December, Berlin-based AirHelp ranked IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, 103rd out of 109 airlines in the world, assessing it poorly on metrics such as punctuality, quality of service, and compensation. IndiGo refuted the allegations.
“I expect these issues [growing passenger complaints] to worsen,” says Alok Anand, chairman & CEO of Bengaluru-based Acumen Aviation, an aircraft asset management and leasing company. “India has yet to experience the air travel boom seen in the US and China, and, as the market grows, so will the challenges. Staff shortages, skill gaps, and infrastructure limitations are the key drivers behind these problems, and I don’t foresee a quick resolution.”
IndiGo has over 70 aircraft grounded due to issues with its engines from Pratt & Whitney. “Currently, Indigo has a third of its fleet grounded and still faces daily customer management complaints; imagine the strain if the full fleet were operational,” adds Anand. “From the airlines’ perspective, these challenges are manageable for now, given the limited competition in the market.” In all, some 144 aircraft in the country were grounded till September.
The situation isn’t any better at Air India, which has been in the midst of a turnaround programme for the past three years. The airline continues to struggle with an aged fleet that is yet to be refurbished, largely due to global supply constraints that have only begun to ease. Of Air India’s order of 470 new planes, 70 are wide-body jets and it is refitting about 67 planes by mid-2025. Despite that, the airline continues to receive flak over its poor quality of flying, and frequent complaints.
(This story appears in the 10 January, 2025 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)