ixty years ago, J R D Tata and Nevill Vintcent - the former Royal Air Force pilot who helped Tata kick-start aviation in India - could hardly have imagined the action that is being played out in the Indian skies. Six airlines ferried more than 18 million passengers last year to more than 150 destinations. This was nearly six million more compared to 2000-01.

It all started in a small way in 1993 with the entry of two private players, Jet Airways and Air Sahara. The millennium saw the introduction of low-cost carriers, something that was unheard of in Indian aviation. Things changed irrevocably after Air Deccan took to the skies in 2003. Starting with four flights a day, the no-frills airline today flies to 44 destinations - not a bad performance for a relative newcomer. ... more