India's weak aviation infrastructure came in for some criticism from International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Giovanni Bisignani, who described the situation as ‘‘critical’’. He warned that without ‘‘massive change’’ in the next two years, the existing infrastructure will not be able to handle growth.In repeated comparisons with China’s expansion, Bisignani said airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore were not adequate. And among them, Mumbai he felt was the worst.‘‘Service levels are not acceptable, delays are common and future growth cannot be accommodated. A commercial centre needs an efficient airport and we need to move fast to address Mumbai’s issues,’’ he said in a media interaction following a CII meet.He linked the lack of infrastructure with the overcrowding of routes while making a case for air traffic management reforms and route restructuring. Bisignani pointed out that 80 per cent flights between Europe and Asia are funnelled through only two crossing points between India and Pakistan. ‘‘We understand there are security concerns. But we need to increase this to four’’. In fact, IATA has proposed to the Civil Aviation Ministry that it considers opening up two additional points on Indo-Pak border. This will help shorten routes and in the process, contribute in cutting down fuel expenditure. Bisignani is slated to meet key airline heads and Civil aviation Minister Praful Patel on Wednesday. He will be taking up these issues as IATA is also offering consultancy to help India overcome its immediate shortcomings.
