Even to-day horses and camels are commonly used to carry heavy loads and men from one place to another. Man’s needs multiplied and he tried to march ahead on the path of civilization, he had to make new inventions. Steam engine was invented. Trains started running. Cars and buses began to move on the roads. But man was not satisfied with all this. He wanted to fly in air like birds. He carved for wings. This desire led to the invention of aeroplanes.
The unique feature of air travel is the fact that men, goods and mail can move quickly from any point of the global air network to any other by air combination of routes, on a single ticket valid everywhere.
But Air-travel has its own limitations. It is very costly. Only the rich can afford to travel by aeroplane. It is out of reach of common people. As only the rich and the important persons travel by air, the loss in air accidents is of precious lives. Even the aeroplanes carrying the late Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the late Sardar Patel and Ex-Prime Minister Moraji Desai were involved in trouble. The whole country waited restlessly for the news of their safety. Dr. Homi Bhaba, the renowned scientist of India, was killed in an air crash.
New types of air-planes are being introduced for air-travel. Recently, a large number of our cities have been linked by aeroplanes and thus placed on the air-map of India. Air-shuttles are operated between these cities.
The tremendous and continuous progress made in recent years in speed, safety, passenger-comfort and convenience, is bound to make more and more people air minded. Air travel has brought with it new philosophies. Scientific progress is bringing about changes in the outlook of men. All these changes are certain to make the aeroplane more popular. The future of air-travel, in India and in other counties, is