Can ambition take flight without readiness on the ground?
While India has a lack of competitive airlines, it has a very intense battle brewing for the airports that want to be the international hubs. In 2015, India’s aviation growth was concentrated in just 8 large airports. A decade later, 13 airports now handle over 5 million passengers a year, with five more nearing that milestone, a sign that traffic growth is no longer limited to the obvious metros. As Chandigarh International Airport (CIAL) announces financial incentives for new airlines and routes from Chandigarh, CHIAL’s ambition is clear. Its readiness however doesn’t seem to be.
The Recipe for a Major International Airport
Being a hub isn’t a tagline. It’s a test of infrastructure, regulation, and reliability all at once. CHIAL has the runway, but not the backbone: no rapid-exit taxiways, no night ops, no fog-ready systems. On January 14th, when dense fog blanketed the region, the impact was dramatic. 21 flight cancellations and multiple delays may sound routine at a metro, but for Chandigarh, where only about 30–35 flights operate per day, that meant over two-thirds of scheduled flights were disrupted. The scale of the chaos was underscored when a Mumbai–Chandigarh IndiGo flight had to turn back after five hours of airborne, unable to land due to poor visibility and inadequate Category III landing systems. It wasn’t just a delay it was a real-time demonstration of the airport’s operational limits
The commercial and passenger layers haven’t yet compensated. While the terminal is clean with a modern layout, the experience is still “basic”: limited check-in counters once traffic scales, a barely functional lounge, minimal F&B and retail, no direct and seamless transport options, and a clear digital lag with no DigiYatra and limited digital services. Chandigarh’s ambition to be North India’s gateway is real, but right now, the infrastructure package is not.
Chandigarh’s competition is not CSMIA or IGI – It’s the noisy neighbor
While Chandigarh has been aiming for an expansion for the last few years, there is one airport that has been silently making its mark as one of India’s fastest growing airports – and it’s the airport right next door, barely 4 hours away – Amritsar.
In 2024, Amritsar rapidly expanded its passenger count by 16%, second only to Kolkata. While Chandigarh hasn’t added new international routes in two years, Amritsar now offers direct flights to as many as 18 destinations across seven countries through partnerships with Air Asia, Scoot, Qatar Airways, Thai Lion Air, NEOS and Air India. This gives Amritsar a significantly broader international reach and feeder connectivity compared with Chandigarh’s limited two routes. And all of this is thanks to sustained investment in infrastructure, passenger experience and a great public-private partnership with the FlyAmritsar Initiative. With Amritsar now being in line for a privatization and very likely to go to India’s largest airport operator, Adani, it is only expected to go from strength to strength with further investment and capacity growth.
Chandigarh’s Challenge: Incentives Aren’t Enough
Incentives may attract airlines, but without matching infrastructure, Chandigarh risks falling behind. As Amritsar gains international attention and Noida and Hisar prepare to enter the fray, the real competition isn’t just regional; it’s readiness. Travelers expect global standards, and airlines need seamless operations. Chandigarh can’t rely on sweeteners alone; it needs an upgrade. The race isn’t just against nearby airports; it’s against time.
It's time for the Quest of the Day!
What’s one airport that gets it right?
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