Air Transport
Air transport helps to expand trade. Fresh fruits from ‘the Valley of Kashmir is sold in the markets of the big cities, the same morning. Fish, catch of the Coast of Kerala is served in hotels of Delhi on the same day of the Catch. Fresh mangoes from India are eaten by the people abroad on the very day of picking.
Food is carried by helicopters and planes to such far off places which are neither linked by railways nor by roadways. Our letters and parcels are also sent by Aeroplanes to places where there is air service. Air transport is especially useful in wars, famines and floods. They can drop food, medicines and clothes to the affected areas to save people. Passengers can be saved from the sinking ships in the middle of the ocean by helicopters.
Since Independence our country has made rapid progress in air transport. It is run under two groups, Indian Airlines Corporation and Air India. The Indian Airlines provides air services within the country linking up-most of the big cities and also neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanisthan and Sri Lanka.
Air India provides Jet services reaching out to more than twenty countries in the world. There are four International Airports and eighty-four other Aerodromes in India Of these Calcutta (Dumdum) is the biggest airport in India.
The Air India operates from the International Airports of Bombay (Santa Cruz), Delhi (Palm) and Madras (Meenambakkam). Aeroplanes of foreign airlines also land at these airports on their way to other countries.
The air routes of the Indian International Airports and link many of the important cities with each other.
Air transport has expanded very fast in India. More people travel by Aeroplanes, but railways and roadways are more popular as comparatively air transport is very costly. Only rich people can afford to travel by air.
But now the Government introduced of airbuses which can carry many more passengers and goods than the regular air service.
The introduction of two decks, one for the upper class and the other ordinary class will facilitate even middle class people adopting air travel. The air travel will not be costlier than the travel by first class in trains and deluxe buses.
