I want to draw attention to the author's conclusion: "The harsh truth is that no city can continue to prosper and grow if it is not a transport hub and if it is not a preferred place for living and working". This goes a step beyond the statement of President John F. Kennedy: "We neglect our cities at our peril. For, in neglecting them, we neglect the nation." JFK's aphorism can be restated as "No city can afford to neglect its airport(s)". E. Sreedharan of Delhi Metro fame has observed that "Mobility defines the quality of life". That applies to mobility by air as well as surface transport both of which intersect at airports. The take-away from the Ninan article is that the country needs to give high priority to aviation including airports. The mindset about aviation being elitist has got to go.
Agreed to your point. But does Mumbai deserve this mobility more than Delhi is the moot question. Pure common sense will tell you that Mumbai deserves it more!
