Overview

• Willie Walsh identified India’s complex tax regime as a long-standing obstacle to airline expansion during the IATA Annual General Meeting in New Delhi.
• He proposed establishing a predictable, transparent levy structure rather than eliminating taxes to avoid recurring litigation over shifting rule interpretations.
• IndiGo’s June commitment to 60 Airbus A350-900s underscores carriers’ growth plans as they prepare to launch services to ten new international destinations.
• Walsh cautioned that misaligned incentives between airlines and airport operators have driven inefficient, overpriced infrastructure developments.
• India’s civil aviation market is set to outpace China’s growth amid government plans for 350 airports by 2047 and a $4 billion MRO hub by 2030.