Talking about the recent disruptions in the aviation sector, Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, says, “This should not be seen as a setback. Instead, they should serve as an early signal that the next phase of growth must be accompanied by a commensurate investment in resilience.”
He adds, “A constructive reform agenda could include a National Aviation Resilience Plan aligning airline fleet growth, crew pipelines, and airport expansion, global-standard norms for fatigue management and standby crew buffers, cross-airline rescue and re-accommodation protocols for large-scale disruptions, a refreshed Passenger Rights Charter centred on automated, predictable compensation, state-level tourism and aviation coordination mechanisms, and a unified Aviation Digital Stack enabling real-time transparency.”
With over 17 years of experience in the B2B travel and hospitality sector, she brings deep insight into travel trade dynamics, industry challenges and market developments. She holds an MA in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, which underpin her strong editorial expertise. An avid nature enthusiast, she prefers outdoor and adventure-led travel, including hiking and trekking.
