In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, we welcome Ameya Joshi, Founder of NetworkThoughts.com to unpack Delhi Airport’s rise as a global transfer hub, explore underserved corridors, and chart India’s changing network dynamics. From terminal revamps and new mega-hubs to airline slot wars and bold contrarian forecasts, Ameya lays out the strategic moves that will define the next decade of Indian aviation.
✈️ In this discussion, we explore Delhi Airport’s remarkable transformation into a global transit hub, with international-to-international transfers surging 244%. This impressive growth positions Delhi as the best directly connected airport to North America and Europe in South and Southeast Asia.
✈️ Our conversation covers Delhi’s strategic positioning on the East-West corridor, particularly highlighting the success of the Central Asia-Southeast Asia route, where IndiGo’s connections between Bangkok, Phuket and Central Asian cities like Almaty, Tashkent, Tbilisi, and Baku alone drove a 500% increase in transit traffic. We discuss what Delhi Airport needs to become more competitive globally, including infrastructure improvements to Terminal 3 and the potential game-changing impact of an inter-terminal train system.
✈️ The episode delves into Air India’s evolving hub strategy at Delhi, including the recent announcement that 60 of its 180 daily domestic departures will relocate. We examine how this restructuring supports Air India’s European expansion and smaller station connectivity ambitions
✈️ Looking ahead, we discuss the imminent opening of two crucial airports: Noida International Airport (DXN) at Jewar, set to be inaugurated in few weeks, with commercial operations beginning within 45 days and an initial capacity of 12 million passengers annually, and how it might take three years to reach full capacity. We also touch on Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), inaugurating this month with the potential to reach its 20 million passenger capacity within the first year of operations
✈️ The discussion turns to India’s evolving airline landscape, where Akasa Air has ascended to become the country’s third-largest carrier. We analyze what it will take for Akasa to solidify its position beyond simply benefiting from SpiceJet’s operational challenges. Speaking of SpiceJet, we examine their puzzling strategy of inducting an Airbus A340 on wet lease, arriving by September-end 2025, potentially for London routes via Gatwick or Stansted
✈️ We explore IndiGo’s strategic partnerships, particularly their collaboration with the SkyTeam alliance carriers including Delta, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, positioning them for deeper European and North American connectivity. The episode addresses IndiGo’s upcoming Athens route using India’s first Airbus A321XLR, with six weekly flights split between Delhi and Mumbai starting January 2026. We debate whether the Delhi-Athens market can support both IndiGo and Aegean Airlines’ planned services and discuss the implications for route development.
✈️ Finally, we explore the future of Indian aviation, including the potential for joint venture agreements between Indian and international carriers, the impact of New Distribution Capability (NDC) on revenue management, and bold predictions for India’s aviation landscape over the next 18-24 months. Ameya shares his take on India-Dubai and India-Singapore bilateral capacity, questioning whether relaxed restrictions would truly generate additional demand given current market dynamics.
✈️ Throughout our discussion, we examine how infrastructure constraints, geopolitical factors, and competitive dynamics shape India’s aviation future, while Delhi Airport positions itself among the world’s top five airports within the next decade.
Ameya Joshi - @khabri_lal
Vishal Mehra - @vishal1mehra