Question

Give a geographical reason for the following:

Nearly seventy percent of Indians do not use air transport.

Answer 1

1. Concentration of Facilities: Airports are primarily located in major metropolitan cities and large state capitals. Since most of India’s population resides in rural areas or smaller towns far from these hubs, air transport is not a geographically accessible option for them.
2. Extensive Alternatives: The vast, relatively flat terrain of India's interior plains is highly suitable for laying extensive road and railway networks. These surface transport modes are widespread, highly accessible to the general population, and more affordable.
3. Terrain Constraints: The development of airfields requires large tracts of flat land, which is difficult and expensive in challenging geographical areas like the Himalayas or dense forested regions, further limiting the expansion of air connectivity into those parts of the country.