{
  "id": 624351,
  "title": "India keeps building runways for airlines that don’t take off",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/india-keeps-building-runways-for-airlines-that-dont-take-off",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-12T02:30:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Ken",
    "slug": "the-ken",
    "url": "https://the-ken.com/story/india-keeps-building-runways-for-airlines-that-dont-take-off/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, once a high-school dropout earning Rs 200 a day, has transformed his life by building a fleet of 400 vehicles and now aims to launch an airline called Shankh Air. The airline plans to operate from Noida International Airport, with a secondary hub at Lucknow Airport. Shankh has secured a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation but is still awaiting the crucial Air Operator Certificate from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Despite the delays, the company has set launch dates, initially targeting May last year, then January of this year, with the current goal set for sometime next year.",
  "summary": "The post India keeps building runways for airlines that don’t take off appeared first on The Ken .",
  "key_points": [
    "Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma builds 400-vehicle fleet.",
    "Shankh Air aims to operate from Noida and Lucknow.",
    "Air Operator Certificate still pending for launch."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This development highlights how India's infrastructure expansion, such as the construction of new airports and runways, is not necessarily aligned with the actual needs and readiness of would-be airlines.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}