The IndiGo Story: Inside the Upstart that Redefined Indian Aviation

by Shelley Vishwajeet

At the same time, it was trying to compete with the Indian Railways,

With it's business model, Indigo is not competing with other Airlines but with Indian Railways. The aim is to transport as many Indians as possible, at the cheapest price possible, while maintaining safety.

This generation looked at air travel just as another mode of transport, albeit quicker.

The first airmail service in the world, demonstrated in 1911, is engraved in the name of India. The period between this landmark year and the year 1953, when air transport was nationalized, can be called the first phase of modern civil aviation in India.

The second phase commenced with the passage of Air Corporation Act 1953,1 which nationalized all existing scheduled airlines and made almost every air service the sole preserve of government corporations. This phase lasted till 1991 when aviation sector opened once again. The story of these four long decades is one of government corporations’ monopoly and Indian aviation’s sluggish growth while the world took to it in a massive way.

The Aircraft Act 1934 was more in the nature of announcing the government’s overbearing authority and control over the Indian aviation sector, rather than being a facilitating act for the development of the sector.

Since there can be no flying in the absence of enabling infrastructure, early aviation pioneers also took upon themselves to develop facilities such as aerodromes, flying clubs, and undertaking training of aviation personnel.

In hindsight, the nationalization of airline industry was desirable as it may not have been easy for a private enterprise to compete effectively or survive in the emerging global aviation scenario.

Moreover, by remaining aligned with the government, J.R.D. protected the larger slice of the Tata

But his most glorious moment as an aviator came when he rescued two key Indonesian independence leaders, Sukarno and Sutan Sjahrir, who later became the first president and the first prime minister of Indonesia respectively. The duo was airlifted by Biju Patnaik from a remote hideout in Indonesia, where they were hiding to escape capture from their then Dutch colonial masters, and were brought safely to India.9 For this daring act which played a pivotal role in the independence of Indonesia, Patnaik was honoured by Sukarno with the title of ‘Bhoomiputra (Son of the Soil)’—Indonesia’s highest civilian award. Biju Babu remains the only non-Indonesian to be honoured with this title till date.

In 1947, Biju Patnaik founded Kalinga Airlines with Calcutta as its primary base.

As early as 1920, British policymakers had abundantly gauged the future significance of aviation, rightly believing it to be the future of defence and transport. Being a sea-surrounded nation, they were convinced that aviation was going to play as strategic a role for Britain in future as had been played by the navy in the past. Aviation would also help them control their far-flung colonies in a more effective manner. They were thus keen to create an enabling environment where this sector could take off in a big way.

The rich were getting the service cheap and investors were making money, but the average British citizen got nothing in return. This resentful absurdity became a key reason for the British government to take control of the Imperial Airways in 1939 and convert it into a state airline, rechristening it as British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

Air France was born in 1933 following the merger of five private airlines.16 But soon after the end of World War II, the French government nationalized air transport following which Air France became a state carrier. The government maintained its control for three decades before diluting its hold and equity.

Much like what happened in India, Japan nationalized its biggest airline, Japan Airlines (JAL), in 1953, merely two years after its establishment.18 The international routes remained the monopoly of this government carrier till the late 1970s when the process of deregulation began.

Flying had also become a necessity and the need and psychology of flyers was also changing. On a short-haul flight (less than two hours), did an average flyer really bother about a free meal or drink?

‘no frills’ didn’t mean cheap or lackadaisical service. Southwest always ensured that its cabin staff and other services were really smart and trendy. Gradually, its takers grew exponentially, ultimately making it the largest domestic airline in the USA.

In 2012, Air India’s pilots resorted to the longest pilots’ strike in global aviation history when they went off duty for over 60 days over an issue which continues to baffle aviation pundits. The trigger was the government’s decision to allow their co-brothers from the recently merged Indian Airlines to undertake advanced pilots training for the soon-to-be-inducted Dreamliner.191 Their strike had a crippling impact on the national carrier and contributed to its slide. That was not the first or the last time Indian pilots had kept away from work.