‘I hope they all survive, but it is a tough world.’
‘The carriers who are already established are already struggling.’

Photograph: Kind courtesy Akasa Air/Facebook

New entrants such as Akasa Air and Jet Airways 2.0 are moving forward in a “very tough environment”, where even established airlines are struggling in certain areas, said Julian Carr, Chief Marketing Officer (Airlines and Route Development), GMR Airports Ltd.

It would be “fascinating” to see how IndiGo’s aspiration to grow further progresses when Air India, under its new owners (the Tata group), is planning to be a big full-service carrier with a domestic as well as an international presence.

Last month, aviation consultancy firm CAPA had said Indian carriers are expected to post a cumulative loss of $2.5 billion in FY23 as airport charges, fuel, currency, labour and aircraft ownership costs are all rising.

GMR Airports operates major airports in Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa.

During a session held by aviation analytics company OAG, Carr said: “There is still a huge appetite to start carriers. We have got a few. Akasa Air has just started, Jet Airways 2.0 hopefully starting soon and Flypop from the UK is yet to start its scheduled services but they are intending to.”

“There are a variety of different carriers (which are starting up) and I am not going to criticise any particular model, but is ‘more’ the principle?” he asked.

IMAGE: An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off as an IndiGo Airlines aircraft…