Hyderabad: A day after Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others died in a Learjet 45 crash in Baramati, private jet operators said India’s business aviation market is growing at an unprecedented pace—even ahead of China—with operations recording a 200% surge over the past five years.Speaking on Day 2 of Wings India 2026, industry executives termed the incident tragic an anomaly, unlikely to slow a market expected to cross a 500-aircraft fleet by 2030. With an expanding pool of high net individuals and entrepreneurs, India is soon expected to be at the top of the charts when it comes to private jets, they added.Infra challengeYet, operators said, the industry faces a serious challenge with gaps in regional aviation infrastructure, as a majority of airports in India lack landing slots and parking bays to accommodate this rapidly growing demand.Currently, India has around 150 private jets with Mumbai as the major hub. Cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad too are fast picking up pace.“Although India has several small airports, many lack operational readiness, including approvals for non-towered operations. Regulatory clearances for licensing and authorisation of such airports remain under review, with safety and security considerations often slowing down the process,” said Prem Kumar Garg, CEO, IndiaOne Air.Adding to that, M Manickam, chairman of Sakthi Aircraft Industry Pvt Ltd, told TOI how only 50 to 60 of the over 200 operational airports in India are currently used by commercial jets, leaving a vast network of airstrips and regional airports underutilised.“More than 150 airports already exist, but connectivity remains limited. There is no point in building airports if no one is flying into them. Most regional airports remain idle simply because there are not enough flights operating. Only once you start flying people there can we justify further investments in airport infrastructure,” he said, calling for airlines and operators to invest in aircraft and operational capabilities to activate regional routes.High maintenance costsThe high costs associated with importing, operating, and maintaining private jets are also emerging as major deterrents for its growth, explained Kanika Tekriwal, CEO of JetSetGo Aviation Services. “There is a need for regulatory reforms and cost-rationalisation measures to sustain growth in the segment. Addressing these fiscal challenges is critical to unlocking the sector’s full potential,” she said.She, meanwhile, highlighted how over the years private aviation has become more mainstream, supporting business and critical travel needs, and competing with commercial airlines. “A noticeable share of today’s users of jets are first-time customers. Many of them were introduced to private aviation over the last few years and have since become repeat users,” she said.
