Adani Demands 'Open Skies' for Airports, Clashes with Air India, IndiGo

• Adani Group urges Indian government to expand international flying rights for its 8 airports, citing $11.1 billion investment and potential for Mumbai as a global hub.
• This move puts Adani at odds with Air India and IndiGo, who fear "unfair competition" from well-capitalized West Asian carriers if skies are rapidly liberalized.
• Government's current conservative policy, in place since 2014, aims to protect domestic airlines and develop Indian transit hubs, limiting foreign airline capacity.
• Restrictions lead to higher airfares and underutilization of new airport infrastructure, as foreign airlines cannot add capacity despite surging demand.
• Adani argues capacity limits are a "criminal waste of assets" and hurt passengers, while Air India warns against undermining domestic airline investments.

Why It Matters: Adani Group pushes for open skies to boost airport traffic, facing resistance from major Indian airlines.