'Atmanirbhar' airlines: Indian carriers focus on int'l passenger, cargo biz

With the Covid-19 pandemic slowing the once-booming domestic market, Indian carriers are discovering virtues in the international passenger and cargo business

At a recent aviation webinar, SpiceJet chief Ajay Singh ruffled the feathers of the UAE ambassador when he said that India could no longer rely on “middlemen” to ferry its passengers and goods across to various countries and that its own airlines were now in a position to do so.

The ambassador took great exception to the use of the term “middlemen” though the import of the message settled in. In today’s environment when protectionism is rearing its head again — more so in the precarious aviation industry — Singh’s words should not be taken lightly. Airline authorities around the