In the next five years, Indian carriers will have the youngest fleet in the world and will drop from being the third greatest emitters to the least, according to leading figures in the aviation sector.

Participating in a discussion at the India Travel & Tourism Sustainability Conclave 2025, Akasa Air Co-Founder Aditya Ghosh said, "Five years from now, I definitely feel when you compare Indian aviation to the rest of the world we will be flying the youngest feet in the sky, which basically means, by math, that we will be actually emitting the least."

He further said, "If you look at aircraft orders and what people will be flying, you know, 2,000 days from now, we will, as a country, be flying the youngest, virtually, the youngest fleet in the world."

Stating that at present India is the third largest aviation market in the world, Ghosh said, "We're also the third largest emitter. Today, aviation contributes to 1 per cent of emissions in India, which is less than the global average."

However, he stated that emissions will increase more quickly as the nation's aviation industry expands.

 

SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said, "India is going to be right at the forefront of being one of the lowest emitters in the world in the aviation sector."

"Aviation is going to be one of the most exciting areas in the Indian economy, there is no doubt. There is going to be rapid growth, more and more people are going to fly different modes of flight as well, not just aircraft."

Similar opinions were voiced by Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, who stated that just 10 percent of the fleet was new generation prior to the merger of AirAsia India and Air India Express in FY23.

"We closed the last financial year with 50:50 -- 50 per cent new gen and 50 per cent old. Next year two-thirds will be new gen. So that is rapidly moving," he said, however, adding sustainability is way wider than just fuel, including positively impacting society and embracing the circular economy, among others.

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Being a part of the Tata Group, where sustainability is almost embedded in the DNA, he said, "We look at sustainability with a much broader lens."