June 11, 2026

NEW DELHI: Alinagar, a constituency in Bihar’s Darbhanga, was catapulted into limelight when BJP decided to field Maithili Thakur, a popular young folk singer, as its candidate. The high-profile candidature immediately ignited resistance from the grassroots, with old party faithfuls threatening to contest as rebels and jeopardise PM Narendra Modi’s experiment of bringing the young into the party.Enter: Amit Shah, home minister and a veteran of several campaigns. Shah tirelessly worked phone lines to mollify each “aggrieved” soul, clearing the way to victory for Thakur on a seat considered “adverse” for BJP. Many in the party, both in Delhi and Patna, attributed the landslide win to Shah’s tireless work that involved 46 engagements, in harnessing Modi’s popularity and goodwill for CM Nitish Kumar for NDA’s candidates. Reacting to the results, Shah said in 11 years, the PM has worked wholeheartedly for Bihar, and CM Nitish Kumar has worked to pull the state out of the darkness of “jungle raj.” “A heartfelt salute to the people of ‘Bihar Bhumi’, ‘the protectors of knowledge, hard work and democracy,” Shah said.”Every single vote cast by the people of Bihar is a symbol of trust in the Modi govt’s policy against infiltrators who threaten India’s security and resources – and against those who support them. The public has given a strong answer to those who protect infiltrators for the sake of votebank politics,” he said. Terming the poll results as a “victory of every Bihari” who believes in a “developed Bihar,” Shah said those who practice ‘Jungle Raj’ and politics of appeasement will not get an opportunity to plunder. End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Bihar’s New MY Formula Is Mahila & Youth’: PM Modi Targets RJD-Congress After NDA’s Landslide Win‘Too Big To Fail’: South African Envoy On Trump’s G20 Boycott, Says PM Modi’s Presence Crucial‘Misa-Priyanka Ko Dickey Mein…’: Yashwant Deshmukh’s Message to RJD–Cong After NDA’s Bihar WinAir India Bombing Returns To Spotlight, CSIS Warns Canada Of New Extremist Networks And Rising RisksSix Ways Nitish Kumar Proved ‘Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai’ As NDA Registers Big Win in Bihar Assembly Polls‘Full Stop to Many Questions’ Chirag Paswan Hails PM Modi, Nitish as NDA Soars Past 200 SeatsKerala Teenager Dies in Dubai After Rooftop Fall While Trying To Take Photos of Low-Flying PlanesPakistan’s Costly Lobbying Blitz Won Access To Trump As India Faced The Harshest Tariffs, Claims NYTChilling Terror Attack Masterplan: How Medical Professionals Built A 5-Step Nationwide Bombing PlotBihar Assembly Poll Results: NDA Touches 200-Seat Lead, Congress Intensifies SIR, Vote Chori Attacks123PhotostoriesShah Rukh Khan closes the year powerful and proudEgg white versus egg yolk: Which one is healthier for breakfast7 dhaba-style dal preparations to try at home5 unique attractions in America that will make you say “I can’t believe this is real”!From BF Karan Kundrra wanting to marry her right after Bigg Boss to her near-fatal injury on Khatron Ke Khiladi: Tejasswi Prakash talks about life, career and loveSlow down aging naturally: 6 scientifically proven foods that workTop 5 platinum producing countries that generate over 90% of the world’s total platinum5 foods to combine with leftover rice for better nutritionMeet the eagles with the biggest wingspans on EarthLearning with purpose: 5 quotes by Dr BR Ambedkar that students can carry for life123Hot PicksAlinagar Election ResultRaghopur Election ResultBihar Election Result 2025Gold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingLaMelo BallGiannis AntetokounmpoJoel EmbiidAidan HutchinsonNHL Trade RumorLatin GrammyDak PrescottBrazilian Bodybuilder Found DeadPercy HarvinStephen Curry

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NEW DELHI: Alinagar, a constituency in Bihar’s Darbhanga, was catapulted into limelight when BJP decided to field Maithili Thakur, a popular young folk singer, as its candidate. The high-profile candidature immediately ignited resistance from the grassroots, with old party faithfuls threatening to contest as rebels and jeopardise PM Narendra Modi’s experiment of bringing the young into the party.Enter: Amit Shah, home minister and a veteran of several campaigns. Shah tirelessly worked phone lines to mollify each “aggrieved” soul, clearing the way to victory for Thakur on a seat considered “adverse” for BJP. Many in the party, both in Delhi and Patna, attributed the landslide win to Shah’s tireless work that involved 46 engagements, in harnessing Modi’s popularity and goodwill for CM Nitish Kumar for NDA’s candidates. Reacting to the results, Shah said in 11 years, the PM has worked wholeheartedly for Bihar, and CM Nitish Kumar has worked to pull the state out of the darkness of “jungle raj.” “A heartfelt salute to the people of ‘Bihar Bhumi’, ‘the protectors of knowledge, hard work and democracy,” Shah said.”Every single vote cast by the people of Bihar is a symbol of trust in the Modi govt’s policy against infiltrators who threaten India’s security and resources – and against those who support them. The public has given a strong answer to those who protect infiltrators for the sake of votebank politics,” he said. Terming the poll results as a “victory of every Bihari” who believes in a “developed Bihar,” Shah said those who practice ‘Jungle Raj’ and politics of appeasement will not get an opportunity to plunder. End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Bihar’s New MY Formula Is Mahila & Youth’: PM Modi Targets RJD-Congress After NDA’s Landslide Win‘Too Big To Fail’: South African Envoy On Trump’s G20 Boycott, Says PM Modi’s Presence Crucial‘Misa-Priyanka Ko Dickey Mein…’: Yashwant Deshmukh’s Message to RJD–Cong After NDA’s Bihar WinAir India Bombing Returns To Spotlight, CSIS Warns Canada Of New Extremist Networks And Rising RisksSix Ways Nitish Kumar Proved ‘Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai’ As NDA Registers Big Win in Bihar Assembly Polls‘Full Stop to Many Questions’ Chirag Paswan Hails PM Modi, Nitish as NDA Soars Past 200 SeatsKerala Teenager Dies in Dubai After Rooftop Fall While Trying To Take Photos of Low-Flying PlanesPakistan’s Costly Lobbying Blitz Won Access To Trump As India Faced The Harshest Tariffs, Claims NYTChilling Terror Attack Masterplan: How Medical Professionals Built A 5-Step Nationwide Bombing PlotBihar Assembly Poll Results: NDA Touches 200-Seat Lead, Congress Intensifies SIR, Vote Chori Attacks123PhotostoriesShah Rukh Khan closes the year powerful and proudEgg white versus egg yolk: Which one is healthier for breakfast7 dhaba-style dal preparations to try at home5 unique attractions in America that will make you say “I can’t believe this is real”!From BF Karan Kundrra wanting to marry her right after Bigg Boss to her near-fatal injury on Khatron Ke Khiladi: Tejasswi Prakash talks about life, career and loveSlow down aging naturally: 6 scientifically proven foods that workTop 5 platinum producing countries that generate over 90% of the world’s total platinum5 foods to combine with leftover rice for better nutritionMeet the eagles with the biggest wingspans on EarthLearning with purpose: 5 quotes by Dr BR Ambedkar that students can carry for life123Hot PicksAlinagar Election ResultRaghopur Election ResultBihar Election Result 2025Gold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingLaMelo BallGiannis AntetokounmpoJoel EmbiidAidan HutchinsonNHL Trade RumorLatin GrammyDak PrescottBrazilian Bodybuilder Found DeadPercy HarvinStephen Curry


Bihar election results: With promises & warnings, Shah turned around 'aggrieved souls'

NEW DELHI: Alinagar, a constituency in Bihar’s Darbhanga, was catapulted into limelight when BJP decided to field Maithili Thakur, a popular young folk singer, as its candidate. The high-profile candidature immediately ignited resistance from the grassroots, with old party faithfuls threatening to contest as rebels and jeopardise PM Narendra Modi’s experiment of bringing the young into the party.Enter: Amit Shah, home minister and a veteran of several campaigns. Shah tirelessly worked phone lines to mollify each “aggrieved” soul, clearing the way to victory for Thakur on a seat considered “adverse” for BJP. Many in the party, both in Delhi and Patna, attributed the landslide win to Shah’s tireless work that involved 46 engagements, in harnessing Modi’s popularity and goodwill for CM Nitish Kumar for NDA’s candidates. Reacting to the results, Shah said in 11 years, the PM has worked wholeheartedly for Bihar, and CM Nitish Kumar has worked to pull the state out of the darkness of “jungle raj.” “A heartfelt salute to the people of ‘Bihar Bhumi’, ‘the protectors of knowledge, hard work and democracy,” Shah said.“Every single vote cast by the people of Bihar is a symbol of trust in the Modi govt’s policy against infiltrators who threaten India’s security and resources – and against those who support them. The public has given a strong answer to those who protect infiltrators for the sake of votebank politics,” he said. Terming the poll results as a “victory of every Bihari” who believes in a “developed Bihar,” Shah said those who practice ‘Jungle Raj’ and politics of appeasement will not get an opportunity to plunder.





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File photo Aviation in India is that rare thing – a sureshot growth industry. But there’s a fascinating story within this story. The South — Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala — dominates aviation. Slice and dice the data any which way, southern states together fly far above every other region. And much of this change has happened over the last 10 years. Plus, in some ways, the southern aviation market has started resembling mature markets in advanced countries.South Rules, Domestic Or InternationalTake recent data. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 41 out of every 100 international passengers crossing India’s borders did so through a southern airport. The northern region, including Delhi, accounted for 28. The West, including Mumbai, managed 25, per Airports Authority of India numbers.The domestic picture is just as striking. Southern airports carried one crore more passengers than the North, and 1.44 crore more than the West, despite the fact that Delhi and Mumbai, India’s two busiest airports, sit in the northern and western regions.Interestingly, a decade ago, the race was much tighter. The West led with about five crore annual domestic passengers, followed by the North at 4.8 crore, and the South at 4.6 crore. But by 2024-25, the South had crossed the 10-crore domestic passenger mark. The other regions are still waiting to get there.Source: Airports Authority of IndiaGraphic: Sanjeev KumarapuramBelow Vindhyas, it’s like the US or JapanThis is not just a story of bigger airports or fuller flights. It is the story of an aviation market that has matured differently.The govt’s UDAN scheme, whose first flight took off in April 2017, is perhaps the clearest map of where Indian aviation still needs help. Of the 923 routes awarded nationally, UP alone accounts for 96, while Uttarakhand has another 81. Together, these two states have been awarded more routes than all the southern states combined, according to data from Rajya Sabha replies.But awarding routes is one thing. Survival is another.In Uttar Pradesh, UDAN flights commenced on 56 routes, but 20 were shut within three years, the highest discontinuation for any state. Uttarakhand followed with 16 discontinued routes, and Assam with 12. The contrast with the South is telling. AAI and UDAN data suggest that southern India has a more mature aviation market, where even smaller airports generate durable, year-round demand.In that sense, parts of southern India are beginning to resemble aviation ecosystems seen in countries such as US, Japan, Canada, Australia and Norway.In US, a traveller from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, can board a regional aircraft to Chicago, connect to a domestic jet service to New York, and then continue on a long-haul international flight to Delhi. In Japan, turboprops link remote islands and regional centres, such as Tokunoshima, to Kagoshima, feeding passengers into larger national hubs. The defining feature of such systems is a seamless progression: small regional aircraft, then domestic jet services, then international long-haul flights.This structure is now increasingly visible in the South.Take Rajahmundry, the textile hub often called the “Bombay of the South”. IndiGo and Fly91 together operate 10 daily departures from Hyderabad to the city. It is an hour-long hop on an ATR aircraft, compared with about seven hours by road. The first ATR leaves Hyderabad for Rajahmundry at 6. 50am; the last departs at 8pm. Rajahmundry is also connected by non-stop flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.The comparison with Cedar Rapids is instructive. This city in Iowa, the world’s largest cornprocessing centre, is connected to Chicago with eight daily non-stop flights, though by faster regional jets. Like in the case of Cedar Rapids, Rajahmundry’s network shows how deeply air connectivity has begun to penetrate.Compare this with airports serving similarly sized cities in other parts of India, and the South’s distinct aviation model becomes apparent. The region has what analysts might call a full aviation stack: regional turboprops connecting smaller cities, narrow-body jets on trunk routes between state capitals and major metros, and a strong international layer above them. Each tier feeds the next.This is a structure that the north and west, for all their traffic volumes, have not yet replicated at scale.Consider IndiGo, India’s largest airline. According to an aviation official, the airline deploys about 60% of its regional ATR turboprop fleet across just three stations: Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.What makes South the leaderAviation experts TOI spoke to identified the South’s economic dynamism as the key reason.“Demand in the South is not reliant on one or two large metros, but distributed across a network of economically active cities… these have strong interlinkages across technology, manufacturing, healthcare, education and exports,” said Ashish Chhawchharia, partner, Grant Thornton Bharat. “This creates a more resilient and diversified traffic base, compared to regions where demand is concentrated around a few hubs or seasonal travel.”Tamil Nadu has Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Salem and Thoothukudi, each sustaining regular scheduled flight services independently. Karnataka has Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Belagavi. Andhra Pradesh has Vijayawada, Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Kadapa and Kurnool.“These are not subsidised experiments in regional connectivity. They are commercial decisions, made because the demand is there, day after day, flight after flight,” said the aviation official quoted earlier.Suprio Banerjee, vice-president and co-group head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said the south’s passenger strength is rooted in its economic structure, airport infrastructure network, and the presence of key cities, which generate frequent business travel to both domestic and international destinations.The dominance of IT services, with Bengaluru and Hyderabad emerging as major hubs for client-facing technology roles, along with the region’s start-up and venture capital ecosystem, has helped push both international traffic, and short-haul domestic travel between Southern metros, he said.Chhawchharia added that a key differentiator for the South is its early “industrialisation” in sectors that drive high-frequency air travel, particularly IT services, global capability centres, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing. These industries attract talent from across the country, creating sustained air traffic into cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.“These cities function as national business gateways with deep domestic and international connectivity needs. At the same time, Tier-2 markets are more integrated into the formal economy, sustaining demand beyond metro-to-metro routes,” he said.As GCCs multiply across the region and data centre investments pour in, that demand base keeps compounding. “Economically anchored routes tend to deliver more stable, recurring passenger flows over time,” said Chhawchharia.UDAN data reinforces that point. The North has a larger operational UDAN network, with 215 routes, compared with 141 in the South. But it has also seen far higher route attrition. Discontinued routes in the North are equivalent to 26% of its operationalised network. In the South, the figure is just 12%. Kerala leads the UDAN success list, with 12 routes operationalised and none discontinued.Source: Rajya SabhaThe Kerala (aviation) storyKerala’s contribution to the South’s aviation dominance, however, comes from a very different engine: international traffic.At Kozhikode, 76% of all passengers are international travellers. At Thiruvananthapuram, international passengers outnumber domestic ones, 53% to 47%. At most Indian airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, the typical split is around 30% international and 70% domestic. Kerala’s overseas traffic, driven largely by its Gulf links and migration economy, is a major reason why Southern states have accounted for around 40% of India’s international traffic for at least a decade.Airports matter, tooInfrastructure has also played a decisive role in the South’s aviation success story.Delhi and Mumbai have been operating beyond comfortable capacity for decades, their terminals and runways stretched by demand that long outpaced supply. Both cities have only recently begun to address the problem, with Navi Mumbai airport commissioned in December 2025 and Noida-Jewar airport set to commence operations this month, corrections that were decades overdue.The South, by contrast, entered the modern airport era with newer runways and cleaner blueprints. Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport are both greenfield facilities that opened in 2008. They were purpose-built, modern airports designed for growth, unlike Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, whose infrastructure carries the weight of seven or eight decades of incremental expansion.Today, four of India’s ten busiest airports by passenger traffic are in the South: Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi. No other region matches that concentration. Bengaluru is already planning a massive second airport. Visakhapatnam is preparing for its next chapter too, with Bhogapuram International Airport expected to open soon. It will serve a city rapidly emerging as a hub for artificial intelligence, data centres, and global capability centres, attracting investments from Google, Reliance, TCS, Infosys, and Capgemini, among others.Figures rounded offInverting Aviation HistoryIndian aviation, of course, began its commercial journey in the West. In 1932, JRD Tata flew his historic airmail service from Karachi to Mumbai, via Ahmedabad. For decades thereafter, Mumbai had India’s busiest airport, and the Western corridor remained the gravitational centre of Indian flying: the busiest routes, the thickest traffic, the headquarters of the national carrier.But Mumbai’s congested airport could not keep pace with demand. Around the turn of the century, Delhi overtook it to become the country’s busiest airport.Now, that geography of dominance has been redrawn again.The signs were visible as early as 2007-08 in AAI’s own segment revenue data. That year, the South generated revenue of Rs 1,538 crore, the highest of any region in the country, ahead of the West’s Rs 1,150 crore, and the North’s Rs 995 crore. In the years since, the South has only strengthened its lead.Indian aviation once moved along a West-to-North axis, from Mumbai’s old dominance to Delhi’s rise. The next chapter is being written further south, across a lattice of business cities, temple towns, Gulf gateways, textile hubs, technology centres, and new airports.The south is not merely adding passengers. It is building a whole new aviation system.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Extends Tax Benefits For Ethanol-Blended Petrol Amid Energy Market UncertaintyIndia Protests Attack On Vessel Carrying Indian Crew Amid Trump’s Defence Of US StrikesFirst Indigenous C-295 Aircraft Successfully Completes Maiden Flight At Tata-Airbus FacilityCyber Fraud Crackdown: Gujarat Police Expose 105 Mule Accounts Under Operation Mule Hunt 2.0Manipur Tensions Rise After Bodies Of Six Abducted Naga Hostages Recovered In KangpokpiTamil Nadu CM Vijay Holds Talks With Congress Top Brass In Delhi Amid New Political SpeculationPM Modi Marks Historic Tenure, Credits NDA’s 12-Year Journey For India’s TransformationMEA Condemns Oman Ship Attack As 21 Indians Rescued, Three Crew Members Still MissingAt NDA Conclave, PM Modi Contrasts Congress Era With ‘NDA’s Development Record’ | WatchYusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Sayoni Ghosh Among 19 MPs In Rebel Camp | Watch123PhotostoriesDo you want to become rich? try these remedies based on your birthTop 8 premium residential societies driving luxury living in Noida7 things you must do in your garden in order to attract garden birds9 food habits of soldiers during World War I5 medicinal herbs you can grow in balcony10 baby boy names that symbolise limitlessness5 new sneakers releasing this June that are worth the hypeExclusive – Rubina Dilaik recalls hiding her pregnancy during a Punjabi film shoot, talks about mom guilt and motherhood; says, ‘My nose would start bleeding on set due to the extreme heat’6 subtle habits that make people lose respect for you, as per psychologistWhich quality makes others jealous of you? find out based on your birth date123Hot PicksJIPMAT 2026 answer keyNitish Kumar SonMahender MakhijaniIND vs AFG Live ScoreRoger Federer Car CollectionCristiano RonaldoHector PennKerala Plus One ResultTNEA Random NumberTop TrendingHaryana Gym Owner MurderGuru Randhawa Gym FiringGold Rate TodayFIFA World Cup 2026Delhi Hotel FireChennai TNSTC BusMeerut Conversion CaseBareilly NewsFilmmaker Bharathiraja DeathKarnataka Murder

File photo Aviation in India is that rare thing – a sureshot growth industry. But there’s a fascinating story within this story. The South — Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala — dominates aviation. Slice and dice the data any which way, southern states together fly far above every other region. And much of this change has happened over the last 10 years. Plus, in some ways, the southern aviation market has started resembling mature markets in advanced countries.South Rules, Domestic Or InternationalTake recent data. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 41 out of every 100 international passengers crossing India’s borders did so through a southern airport. The northern region, including Delhi, accounted for 28. The West, including Mumbai, managed 25, per Airports Authority of India numbers.The domestic picture is just as striking. Southern airports carried one crore more passengers than the North, and 1.44 crore more than the West, despite the fact that Delhi and Mumbai, India’s two busiest airports, sit in the northern and western regions.Interestingly, a decade ago, the race was much tighter. The West led with about five crore annual domestic passengers, followed by the North at 4.8 crore, and the South at 4.6 crore. But by 2024-25, the South had crossed the 10-crore domestic passenger mark. The other regions are still waiting to get there.Source: Airports Authority of IndiaGraphic: Sanjeev KumarapuramBelow Vindhyas, it’s like the US or JapanThis is not just a story of bigger airports or fuller flights. It is the story of an aviation market that has matured differently.The govt’s UDAN scheme, whose first flight took off in April 2017, is perhaps the clearest map of where Indian aviation still needs help. Of the 923 routes awarded nationally, UP alone accounts for 96, while Uttarakhand has another 81. Together, these two states have been awarded more routes than all the southern states combined, according to data from Rajya Sabha replies.But awarding routes is one thing. Survival is another.In Uttar Pradesh, UDAN flights commenced on 56 routes, but 20 were shut within three years, the highest discontinuation for any state. Uttarakhand followed with 16 discontinued routes, and Assam with 12. The contrast with the South is telling. AAI and UDAN data suggest that southern India has a more mature aviation market, where even smaller airports generate durable, year-round demand.In that sense, parts of southern India are beginning to resemble aviation ecosystems seen in countries such as US, Japan, Canada, Australia and Norway.In US, a traveller from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, can board a regional aircraft to Chicago, connect to a domestic jet service to New York, and then continue on a long-haul international flight to Delhi. In Japan, turboprops link remote islands and regional centres, such as Tokunoshima, to Kagoshima, feeding passengers into larger national hubs. The defining feature of such systems is a seamless progression: small regional aircraft, then domestic jet services, then international long-haul flights.This structure is now increasingly visible in the South.Take Rajahmundry, the textile hub often called the “Bombay of the South”. IndiGo and Fly91 together operate 10 daily departures from Hyderabad to the city. It is an hour-long hop on an ATR aircraft, compared with about seven hours by road. The first ATR leaves Hyderabad for Rajahmundry at 6. 50am; the last departs at 8pm. Rajahmundry is also connected by non-stop flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.The comparison with Cedar Rapids is instructive. This city in Iowa, the world’s largest cornprocessing centre, is connected to Chicago with eight daily non-stop flights, though by faster regional jets. Like in the case of Cedar Rapids, Rajahmundry’s network shows how deeply air connectivity has begun to penetrate.Compare this with airports serving similarly sized cities in other parts of India, and the South’s distinct aviation model becomes apparent. The region has what analysts might call a full aviation stack: regional turboprops connecting smaller cities, narrow-body jets on trunk routes between state capitals and major metros, and a strong international layer above them. Each tier feeds the next.This is a structure that the north and west, for all their traffic volumes, have not yet replicated at scale.Consider IndiGo, India’s largest airline. According to an aviation official, the airline deploys about 60% of its regional ATR turboprop fleet across just three stations: Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.What makes South the leaderAviation experts TOI spoke to identified the South’s economic dynamism as the key reason.“Demand in the South is not reliant on one or two large metros, but distributed across a network of economically active cities… these have strong interlinkages across technology, manufacturing, healthcare, education and exports,” said Ashish Chhawchharia, partner, Grant Thornton Bharat. “This creates a more resilient and diversified traffic base, compared to regions where demand is concentrated around a few hubs or seasonal travel.”Tamil Nadu has Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Salem and Thoothukudi, each sustaining regular scheduled flight services independently. Karnataka has Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Belagavi. Andhra Pradesh has Vijayawada, Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Kadapa and Kurnool.“These are not subsidised experiments in regional connectivity. They are commercial decisions, made because the demand is there, day after day, flight after flight,” said the aviation official quoted earlier.Suprio Banerjee, vice-president and co-group head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said the south’s passenger strength is rooted in its economic structure, airport infrastructure network, and the presence of key cities, which generate frequent business travel to both domestic and international destinations.The dominance of IT services, with Bengaluru and Hyderabad emerging as major hubs for client-facing technology roles, along with the region’s start-up and venture capital ecosystem, has helped push both international traffic, and short-haul domestic travel between Southern metros, he said.Chhawchharia added that a key differentiator for the South is its early “industrialisation” in sectors that drive high-frequency air travel, particularly IT services, global capability centres, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing. These industries attract talent from across the country, creating sustained air traffic into cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.“These cities function as national business gateways with deep domestic and international connectivity needs. At the same time, Tier-2 markets are more integrated into the formal economy, sustaining demand beyond metro-to-metro routes,” he said.As GCCs multiply across the region and data centre investments pour in, that demand base keeps compounding. “Economically anchored routes tend to deliver more stable, recurring passenger flows over time,” said Chhawchharia.UDAN data reinforces that point. The North has a larger operational UDAN network, with 215 routes, compared with 141 in the South. But it has also seen far higher route attrition. Discontinued routes in the North are equivalent to 26% of its operationalised network. In the South, the figure is just 12%. Kerala leads the UDAN success list, with 12 routes operationalised and none discontinued.Source: Rajya SabhaThe Kerala (aviation) storyKerala’s contribution to the South’s aviation dominance, however, comes from a very different engine: international traffic.At Kozhikode, 76% of all passengers are international travellers. At Thiruvananthapuram, international passengers outnumber domestic ones, 53% to 47%. At most Indian airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, the typical split is around 30% international and 70% domestic. Kerala’s overseas traffic, driven largely by its Gulf links and migration economy, is a major reason why Southern states have accounted for around 40% of India’s international traffic for at least a decade.Airports matter, tooInfrastructure has also played a decisive role in the South’s aviation success story.Delhi and Mumbai have been operating beyond comfortable capacity for decades, their terminals and runways stretched by demand that long outpaced supply. Both cities have only recently begun to address the problem, with Navi Mumbai airport commissioned in December 2025 and Noida-Jewar airport set to commence operations this month, corrections that were decades overdue.The South, by contrast, entered the modern airport era with newer runways and cleaner blueprints. Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport are both greenfield facilities that opened in 2008. They were purpose-built, modern airports designed for growth, unlike Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, whose infrastructure carries the weight of seven or eight decades of incremental expansion.Today, four of India’s ten busiest airports by passenger traffic are in the South: Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kochi. No other region matches that concentration. Bengaluru is already planning a massive second airport. Visakhapatnam is preparing for its next chapter too, with Bhogapuram International Airport expected to open soon. It will serve a city rapidly emerging as a hub for artificial intelligence, data centres, and global capability centres, attracting investments from Google, Reliance, TCS, Infosys, and Capgemini, among others.Figures rounded offInverting Aviation HistoryIndian aviation, of course, began its commercial journey in the West. In 1932, JRD Tata flew his historic airmail service from Karachi to Mumbai, via Ahmedabad. For decades thereafter, Mumbai had India’s busiest airport, and the Western corridor remained the gravitational centre of Indian flying: the busiest routes, the thickest traffic, the headquarters of the national carrier.But Mumbai’s congested airport could not keep pace with demand. Around the turn of the century, Delhi overtook it to become the country’s busiest airport.Now, that geography of dominance has been redrawn again.The signs were visible as early as 2007-08 in AAI’s own segment revenue data. That year, the South generated revenue of Rs 1,538 crore, the highest of any region in the country, ahead of the West’s Rs 1,150 crore, and the North’s Rs 995 crore. In the years since, the South has only strengthened its lead.Indian aviation once moved along a West-to-North axis, from Mumbai’s old dominance to Delhi’s rise. The next chapter is being written further south, across a lattice of business cities, temple towns, Gulf gateways, textile hubs, technology centres, and new airports.The south is not merely adding passengers. It is building a whole new aviation system.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Extends Tax Benefits For Ethanol-Blended Petrol Amid Energy Market UncertaintyIndia Protests Attack On Vessel Carrying Indian Crew Amid Trump’s Defence Of US StrikesFirst Indigenous C-295 Aircraft Successfully Completes Maiden Flight At Tata-Airbus FacilityCyber Fraud Crackdown: Gujarat Police Expose 105 Mule Accounts Under Operation Mule Hunt 2.0Manipur Tensions Rise After Bodies Of Six Abducted Naga Hostages Recovered In KangpokpiTamil Nadu CM Vijay Holds Talks With Congress Top Brass In Delhi Amid New Political SpeculationPM Modi Marks Historic Tenure, Credits NDA’s 12-Year Journey For India’s TransformationMEA Condemns Oman Ship Attack As 21 Indians Rescued, Three Crew Members Still MissingAt NDA Conclave, PM Modi Contrasts Congress Era With ‘NDA’s Development Record’ | WatchYusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Sayoni Ghosh Among 19 MPs In Rebel Camp | Watch123PhotostoriesDo you want to become rich? try these remedies based on your birthTop 8 premium residential societies driving luxury living in Noida7 things you must do in your garden in order to attract garden birds9 food habits of soldiers during World War I5 medicinal herbs you can grow in balcony10 baby boy names that symbolise limitlessness5 new sneakers releasing this June that are worth the hypeExclusive – Rubina Dilaik recalls hiding her pregnancy during a Punjabi film shoot, talks about mom guilt and motherhood; says, ‘My nose would start bleeding on set due to the extreme heat’6 subtle habits that make people lose respect for you, as per psychologistWhich quality makes others jealous of you? find out based on your birth date123Hot PicksJIPMAT 2026 answer keyNitish Kumar SonMahender MakhijaniIND vs AFG Live ScoreRoger Federer Car CollectionCristiano RonaldoHector PennKerala Plus One ResultTNEA Random NumberTop TrendingHaryana Gym Owner MurderGuru Randhawa Gym FiringGold Rate TodayFIFA World Cup 2026Delhi Hotel FireChennai TNSTC BusMeerut Conversion CaseBareilly NewsFilmmaker Bharathiraja DeathKarnataka Murder

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MK Stalin meets P Benjamin (Image/PTI) NEW DELHI: Former AIADMK minister P Benjamin has joined the DMK along with his supporters, in a significant political shift that adds to the continuing exodus of leaders from the opposition party in Tamil Nadu.Benjamin joined the ruling DMK in the presence of party president and chief minister MK Stalin at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam in Chennai on Wednesday.He was accompanied by several AIADMK office-bearers, including Tiruvallur Central Party District Women’s Wing secretary Yamini Ilayaraja, district students’ wing secretary Dinesh and other functionaries who also switched sides.Senior DMK leaders TR Baalu, A Raja and RS Bharathi were present at the event.Benjamin, a former deputy mayor of the Chennai Corporation, had served as a minister in the AIADMK governments led by J Jayalalithaa and later Edappadi K Palaniswami. His departure comes amid a series of defections from the party in recent months.The AIADMK leadership has been dealing with internal challenges, including reported dissent among some MLAs in recent political developments, further weakening the party’s organisational strength.Benjamin’s exit follows a wider pattern of defections, with several former AIADMK ministers, including MC Sampath, NR Sivapathi, Kadambur C Raju and Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, recently joining the ruling TVK. Last month, former AIADMK MLA VNP Venkatraman also joined the DMK in Chennai. Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Protests Attack On Vessel Carrying Indian Crew Amid Trump’s Defence Of US StrikesFirst Indigenous C-295 Aircraft Successfully Completes Maiden Flight At Tata-Airbus FacilityCyber Fraud Crackdown: Gujarat Police Expose 105 Mule Accounts Under Operation Mule Hunt 2.0Manipur Tensions Rise After Bodies Of Six Abducted Naga Hostages Recovered In KangpokpiTamil Nadu CM Vijay Holds Talks With Congress Top Brass In Delhi Amid New Political SpeculationPM Modi Marks Historic Tenure, Credits NDA’s 12-Year Journey For India’s TransformationMEA Condemns Oman Ship Attack As 21 Indians Rescued, Three Crew Members Still MissingAt NDA Conclave, PM Modi Contrasts Congress Era With ‘NDA’s Development Record’ | WatchYusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Sayoni Ghosh Among 19 MPs In Rebel Camp | WatchFrom Himanta To Bhupender: Are BJP Leaders Accelerating The TMC Rebellion?123PhotostoriesTop 8 premium residential societies driving luxury living in Noida7 things you must do in your garden in order to attract garden birds9 food habits of soldiers during World War I5 medicinal herbs you can grow in balcony10 baby boy names that symbolise limitlessness5 new sneakers releasing this June that are worth the hypeExclusive – Rubina Dilaik recalls hiding her pregnancy during a Punjabi film shoot, talks about mom guilt and motherhood; says, ‘My nose would start bleeding on set due to the extreme heat’6 subtle habits that make people lose respect for you, as per psychologistWhich quality makes others jealous of you? find out based on your birth date7 meaningful ways to celebrate your child’s biggest moments123Hot PicksJIPMAT 2026 answer keyNitish Kumar SonMahender MakhijaniIND vs AFG Live ScoreRoger Federer Car CollectionCristiano RonaldoHector PennKerala Plus One ResultTNEA Random NumberTop TrendingHaryana Gym Owner MurderGuru Randhawa Gym FiringGold Rate TodayFIFA World Cup 2026Delhi Hotel FireChennai TNSTC BusMeerut Conversion CaseBareilly NewsFilmmaker Bharathiraja DeathKarnataka Murder

MK Stalin meets P Benjamin (Image/PTI) NEW DELHI: Former AIADMK minister P Benjamin has joined the DMK along with his supporters, in a significant political shift that adds to the continuing exodus of leaders from the opposition party in Tamil Nadu.Benjamin joined the ruling DMK in the presence of party president and chief minister MK Stalin at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam in Chennai on Wednesday.He was accompanied by several AIADMK office-bearers, including Tiruvallur Central Party District Women’s Wing secretary Yamini Ilayaraja, district students’ wing secretary Dinesh and other functionaries who also switched sides.Senior DMK leaders TR Baalu, A Raja and RS Bharathi were present at the event.Benjamin, a former deputy mayor of the Chennai Corporation, had served as a minister in the AIADMK governments led by J Jayalalithaa and later Edappadi K Palaniswami. His departure comes amid a series of defections from the party in recent months.The AIADMK leadership has been dealing with internal challenges, including reported dissent among some MLAs in recent political developments, further weakening the party’s organisational strength.Benjamin’s exit follows a wider pattern of defections, with several former AIADMK ministers, including MC Sampath, NR Sivapathi, Kadambur C Raju and Udumalai K Radhakrishnan, recently joining the ruling TVK. Last month, former AIADMK MLA VNP Venkatraman also joined the DMK in Chennai. Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Protests Attack On Vessel Carrying Indian Crew Amid Trump’s Defence Of US StrikesFirst Indigenous C-295 Aircraft Successfully Completes Maiden Flight At Tata-Airbus FacilityCyber Fraud Crackdown: Gujarat Police Expose 105 Mule Accounts Under Operation Mule Hunt 2.0Manipur Tensions Rise After Bodies Of Six Abducted Naga Hostages Recovered In KangpokpiTamil Nadu CM Vijay Holds Talks With Congress Top Brass In Delhi Amid New Political SpeculationPM Modi Marks Historic Tenure, Credits NDA’s 12-Year Journey For India’s TransformationMEA Condemns Oman Ship Attack As 21 Indians Rescued, Three Crew Members Still MissingAt NDA Conclave, PM Modi Contrasts Congress Era With ‘NDA’s Development Record’ | WatchYusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Sayoni Ghosh Among 19 MPs In Rebel Camp | WatchFrom Himanta To Bhupender: Are BJP Leaders Accelerating The TMC Rebellion?123PhotostoriesTop 8 premium residential societies driving luxury living in Noida7 things you must do in your garden in order to attract garden birds9 food habits of soldiers during World War I5 medicinal herbs you can grow in balcony10 baby boy names that symbolise limitlessness5 new sneakers releasing this June that are worth the hypeExclusive – Rubina Dilaik recalls hiding her pregnancy during a Punjabi film shoot, talks about mom guilt and motherhood; says, ‘My nose would start bleeding on set due to the extreme heat’6 subtle habits that make people lose respect for you, as per psychologistWhich quality makes others jealous of you? find out based on your birth date7 meaningful ways to celebrate your child’s biggest moments123Hot PicksJIPMAT 2026 answer keyNitish Kumar SonMahender MakhijaniIND vs AFG Live ScoreRoger Federer Car CollectionCristiano RonaldoHector PennKerala Plus One ResultTNEA Random NumberTop TrendingHaryana Gym Owner MurderGuru Randhawa Gym FiringGold Rate TodayFIFA World Cup 2026Delhi Hotel FireChennai TNSTC BusMeerut Conversion CaseBareilly NewsFilmmaker Bharathiraja DeathKarnataka Murder

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