Lok Sabha Question No. 2555 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-02
Subject: Cost of Air Travel
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

2555.

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2555 (To be answered on the

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA

August 2018) 2nd

## COST OF AIR TRA VEL

SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether of late, air travel has become much cheaper with the air fare less than auto fare per kilometre, if s0, the details thereof; being
- whether due to increase in the number of air travellers and flights; the country is poised to become the third biggest aviation market in the world and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the average cost per kilometre of a domestic flight in the economy class;
- (d) whether the Ministry has taken proactive measures to expand the airport infrastructure to achieve the objective of handling 1 billion travellers a year and if so,the details thereof; and
- (e) whether recently, Mumbai'$ Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport set a world record of handling 980 flights on a single runway during a 24 hour period and if s0, the detaiis thereof?

## ANSWER

## Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(Shri Jayant Sinha)

(a) and (b): The Government of India has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) o 21.10.2016 to promote affordable air connectivity for masses. Airfare cap under RCS-UDAN for fixed aircraft ranges from Rs. 1420/- for 151 kms to Rs. 3500/- for distance greater than 800 kms. wing

(d): Yes madam, proactive measures are put in place on airport infrastructure to achieve the objective of handling 4 billion travellers a year: As a part of the NABH (Nextgen Airports for Bharat) Nirman airport capacity expansion programme; the Government of India has proposed to increase the capacity of airports by 4 to 5 times to handle a billion passenger trips per year over the next 10 to 15 years To meet the demand; Airports being

(c): According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), India is set to become the third largest aviation market in the world by the year 2023.

Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon a Capital Expenditure plan of Rs: 20,000 crores in next 4 years for development/modernization/upgradation 9f terminal buildings of AAL airports in the country including Calicut; Port Development/upgradation of airports is a continuous process and is undertaken by AAI from time to time depending on availability of land, commercial viability, socio-economic considerations, traffic demandi willingness of airlines to operate to/from such airports. In addition to above, this Ministry has given in-principle approval for 20 greenfield airports o2 Bhogapuram; Dagadarthi Mandal, Oravakallu in Kurnool, Mopa Airport International greenfield airport Hirasar, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Hassan; Private/ Joint Venture (JV) airports have also planned capacity expansion on their airports: Goa,

(e): Yes Madam; Chatrapati Shivaji International (CSI) Airport; Mumbai handled 1003 flights on a single runway during a 24 hours period on 5 June, 2018. Out of 1003 aircraft movements, 242 were International, 708 were Domestic and 53 were Non-Scheduled aircraft movements.