Flying has been the dream of man since we achieved sentience and it took us almost all our evolutionary time period to finally reach that point. It was in 1903 that the Wright brothers first managed to achieved flight and thus paving the way for it to become the fastest mode of transportation in the world.
From merely being able to travel a few meters to planes being able to circumnavigate the globe and from reaching speeds of just a few km/hr to planes today easily breaking the sound barrier, planes have come a long way. It used to be just a machine that could be used for military purposes; but as technology developed and we understood more about the physics of flight, passenger flight became possible. Today aeroplanes have become the most convenient and go to method of travel around the world.
India has a rich aviation history, with the first commercial flight taking place in 1911, just years after the invention of the aeroplane. Today the Indian aviation network is the fastest growing in the world and the city of Bangalore has around a 65% share as the largest aviation manufacturing hub of the country. Connectivity in the 21st century is relatively great, India has over 80 cities in the network and more than 15 are international airports. The Mumbai-Delhi route is also the 10th busiest route in the world, hence the New Delhi to Mumbai flights schedule remains the most packed. An estimated 135 million passengers travel via planes in India annually. These figures make India the world’s third largest domestic and overall civil aviation market in the world.
Apart from the size and figures of the aviation in India, it is also becoming a very widely preferred method of transportation. The biggest advantage of air travel is the speed. It can cover huge distances in the fastest of times, with technology in engine manufacturing reaching pinnacles. Aeroplanes manage to cover distances of over a thousand kilometres in a matter of hours, as some can reach speeds in excess of 600 km/hr. They can also carry hundreds of passengers, with the largest planes being able to carry over 500 passengers. Along with the speed comes luxury.
Aeroplanes have many classes, and even the starting economy class is quite comfortable. Air conditioning comes by default as the planes travel at very high altitudes and the seats are also very comfortable with good recline and leg space. The business class is a step above, with leather seats and full recline availability; passengers are treated to a treat. They are offered services such as hot towels, champagne and great food. The first class services are something else; travelling via this is the definition of high-end luxury. Seats are more like beds and with personal enclosures, one gets their own rooms in the sky. They are also presented with gourmet cuisine and other superb services.
Travelling via planes has become a common trend and they are much preferred when one has to take flights in an emergency. As the rates of the flights plummet, its usage is only going to increase over time.
