CII Report Proposes Revolutionary Air Taxi Corridor for Delhi-NCR
A groundbreaking report from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has unveiled a visionary proposal for an air taxi corridor that could dramatically transform transportation in the Delhi-National Capital Region. The plan aims to connect Gurgaon, Connaught Place, and the upcoming Noida International Airport, potentially reducing travel times from several hours to mere minutes.
Addressing Chronic Infrastructure Bottlenecks
The comprehensive report presents a detailed roadmap for the safe and regulated integration of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) and other emerging technologies into India's aviation ecosystem. This initiative is specifically designed to alleviate the severe infrastructure bottlenecks that have long plagued Delhi-NCR's transportation network.
The Gurgaon-central Delhi-Jewar Airport triangle has been identified as a high-demand route due to intense road congestion and excessively long commute times. Currently, traveling from Connaught Place to Noida airport by road typically takes between two and two and a half hours. In stark contrast, the proposed aerial route could complete the same journey in just 18 to 20 minutes under standard operating conditions.
Transformative Time Savings and National Implications
The full corridor could be covered in under 30 minutes, compared to up to three hours by road during peak traffic periods. This represents a potential reduction of 80-90% in travel time for commuters and travelers.
A successful Delhi-NCR pilot project could serve as a template for similar high-density corridors in other major Indian cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. This strategic approach positions India at the forefront of global urban air mobility adoption and demonstrates innovative thinking in addressing urban transportation challenges.
Innovative Infrastructure Solutions
A key pillar of the proposal involves the innovative use of rooftop vertiports, particularly atop hospitals, commercial buildings, tech parks, and high-rise complexes. The report notes that acquiring land for ground-based vertiports in dense urban areas is prohibitively expensive and time-consuming, whereas rooftops offer underutilized real estate that can be retrofitted at significantly lower costs.
This approach could reduce capital expenditure by 30% to 50% and potentially allow air services to become operational within a single year. In the initial phase, air taxi operations could be limited to medical and emergency cases, such as transporting organs, while operating from hospital rooftops and existing helipads that can be upgraded for low-frequency eVTOL operations.
Phased Deployment and Safety Considerations
The phased deployment strategy is aimed at building operational confidence, validating safety systems, and securing public acceptance before scaling up to full passenger services. The report's feasibility matrix highlights strong operational viability for the Delhi-NCR corridor, with the proposed aerial route length of 65 to 75 kilometers being substantially shorter than the equivalent 110 to 120 kilometers on road.
Planned detours ensure compliance with India's complex airspace restrictions, with flight paths avoiding sensitive zones and routing aircraft via northern and south-eastern arcs to maintain safety and regulatory compliance. From Gurgaon, aircraft would follow a northward arc via Punjabi Bagh and Civil Lines to avoid Lutyens' Delhi, Delhi Cantonment, and IGI Airport airspace.
Environmental Advantages and Regulatory Framework
Environmental considerations feature prominently in the proposal. The report emphasizes that eVTOLs offer zero tailpipe emissions and lower noise profiles compared to traditional helicopters, particularly if vertiports and charging infrastructure are powered by renewable energy sources.
Recommended measures include acoustic zoning, noise monitoring, restricted operating hours, and avoidance of ecologically sensitive areas. The regulatory framework places the Ministry of Civil Aviation as the policy lead, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation responsible for certification, safety oversight, and vertiport standards. The Airports Authority of India is set to play a critical role in airspace integration alongside existing air traffic control systems.
Strategic Vision and Implementation Roadmap
The proposal forms part of a broader report on advanced air mobility released by Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu. It describes next-generation air mobility as a high-impact solution to congestion in India's rapidly expanding cities.
Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of CII, commented in the report: "The commencement of operations at Noida airport not only expands our global connectivity but also highlights the urgent need to address urban congestion in NCR. This report moves beyond theory; it provides a grounded, technical and regulatory roadmap by utilizing a hypothetical corridor connecting Gurgaon, CP and the airport."
The report represents a significant step forward in reimagining urban transportation in India's most congested metropolitan regions, offering practical solutions that could revolutionize how people move between key destinations in the National Capital Region.
