The birthplace of civil aviation in India, Mumbai, is slowly losing its status as a city associated with airline offices and operational bases. Currently, only Go First, which has filed for bankruptcy, and Akasa Air, a one-year-old airline, have their corporate headquarters in Mumbai.
The major aviation cities in India with airline offices and operational bases are now Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru. Gurugram is home to two major carriers, IndiGo and SpiceJet. Delhi is the base for Air India, Vistara, and Alliance Air. Bengaluru is currently the base for AirAsia India and Star Air. However, Air India Express, though registered in Mumbai, operates out of six bases in the south of India. Even Jet Airways, which was previously based in Mumbai, had plans to establish Jet 2.0 in Delhi. Fly91, a regional airline set to start operations later this year, will be based in Goa. Akasa Air is the only airline with its corporate office in Parel, Mumbai, with operational bases in both Mumbai and Bengaluru.
In the past, most airlines were based in Mumbai. Faisal Wahid, from the now-defunct East-West Airlines, recalled that during the 1990s, only ModiLuft and Air Sahara were based in Delhi, but they operated many flights to Mumbai. Other major carriers like Air India, EastWest, and Damania Airways had their corporate offices and operational bases in Mumbai. Passengers from the southern and western regions of India would travel to Mumbai to catch international flights. Mumbai was also the first stop for many migrants from Kerala heading to the Gulf in those days.
East-West Airways had its corporate office in Bandra’s Perry Cross Road and an engineering base near the airport. Parvez Damania, from the defunct Damania Airways, echoed Wahid’s sentiment that Mumbai was a significant aviation market at the time and the obvious choice for an airline base. However, infrastructure constraints have hindered further development.
Mumbai holds a significant place in Indian civil aviation history, with J.R.D. Tata piloting the inaugural flight of Tata Air Services from Karachi to Bombay in 1932. However, the shift of Air India’s base to Delhi, Jet Airways’ bankruptcy, and the financial troubles faced by Go First indicate that Mumbai’s role in civil aviation is in jeopardy. Hopefully, the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport will revive the city’s importance in the aviation industry.