Adani Airports Calls for Easing Foreign Airline Seat Caps to Boost Hub Ambitions
Adani Airports has urged the Indian government to relax restrictions on the number of seats foreign airlines can offer on routes to and from India, arguing that current limits are constraining the country’s aviation growth. The caps, set under bilateral air service agreements, are meant to protect domestic carriers but have increasingly drawn criticism from global airlines facing strong demand.
Speaking at an aviation event in Hyderabad, Adani Airports CEO Arun Bansal said India’s ambition to emerge as a global aviation hub would require a more liberal approach. He noted that in the short term, growth in the sector is being held back by bilateral agreements and called for an “open skies” policy to unlock capacity and connectivity.
India is currently the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, and Adani Airports operates eight airports as part of an $11 billion expansion plan that includes bidding for more facilities. However, domestic airlines such as IndiGo have supported retaining seat caps, warning that rapid liberalisation could hurt Indian carriers that are still in the process of expanding their fleets.
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