Lok Sabha Question No. 2028 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-22
Subject: Functional Airports in the Country
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Prasun Banerjee, Nusrat Jahan Ruhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

(To be answered on the September 2020) 22nd

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2028

## FUNCTIONAL AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY

2028. SHRI PRASUN BANERJEE SHRIMATI NUSRAT JAHAN RUHI

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

- (2) the total number of functional airports in the country;
2. (c) whether a number of people lost their job in aviation and related sector during the last three years, specially post 23rd March; 2020, if the details thereof; and

be pleased to state: -

- () whether Air India operates its flights from these airports, if the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the steps taken the Government in this regard and also to ensure payment of full salary to the employees of private airlines? by

## ANSWER

Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)

a) The total number of functional airports in the country at present is 125.

- @) Air India operated flights from 56 airports in the pre-COVID-19 period The list of these airports is attached as Annexure. The reasons for not operating from other airports include, inter alia:
2. Air India subsidiaries i.e. Air India Express and Alliance Air may have operations there:
1. The airstrip may not be compatible with the type of aircraft in the Air India fleet.
3. Operations there may have sub-optimal commercial and operational viability.
- (c) Based on inputs received from stakeholders; the impact of Covid-l9 on employment in aviation sector is as follows:
1. The employment at airlines has reduced from 74,887 as 0n 31 Mar 2020
- to 69,589 as on 31 Jul 2020.
3. The employment at ground handling agencies has reduced from 37,720 as on 31 Mar 2020 to 29,254 as on 31 Jul 2020.
2. The employment at airports has reduced from 67,760 as on 31 Mar 2020 to 64,514 as on 31 Jul 2020.
4. The employment at cargo operators has reduced from 9,555 as on 31 Mar 2020 to 8,538 as on 31 Jul 2020.
- (d) Some of the measures taken to support the aviation sector include, interalia:
1. Domestic air services have been restarted in a calibrated manner. Initially one third (33%) of the summer schedule 2020 was allowed to be operated which was subsequently increased to 45% on 26 Jun 2020 and then to 60% on 02 Sep 2020
3. As on 17 2020, in exclusive air-links or Air Bubbles have been established with Afghanistan; Bahrain, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, arrangements aimed at restarting international passenger services while regular international flights remain suspended due to COVID-19. In addition; under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) international flights are operating 0n many other sectors: Sep
2. Operation of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) flights were allowed without the above-mentioned restrictions\_
4. Promoted private investments in existing and new airports through the PPP route.
6. GST rate reduced to 5% for domestic Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services.
5. Adequate care taken to ensure that cargo terminals at all major airports were operational, whenever required.
7. Encouraging Indian carriers to increase their share in international air cargo traffic:
8. Route rationalization in the Indian airspace in coordination with Indian Air Force (IAF) for efficient airspace management, shorter routes and reduced fuel consumption.

The salaries paid by private airlines to their employees is determined by their respective management: The salaries have to be in consonance with appiicable laws.

Annexure Statement referred to in reply of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2028 for answer of 22.09.2020

## List of airports where Air India flights were being operated (pre-COVID-19 period)

| S.NO_   | ONLYAI (DOMESTIC)   |
|---------|---------------------|
| 1       | AGARTALA            |
| 2       | AHMEDABAD           |
| 3       | AIZWAL              |
| 4       | AMRITSAR            |
| 5       | AURANGABAD          |
| 6       | BAGDOGRA            |
| 7       | BENGALURU           |
| 8       | BHOPAL              |
| 9       | BHUBANESHWAR        |
| 10      | CALICUT             |
| 11      | CHANDIGARH          |
| 12      | CHENNAI             |
| 13      | COCHIN              |
| 14      | COIMBATORE          |
| 15      | DEHRADUN            |
| 16      | DELHI               |
| 17      | DIBRUGARH           |
| 18      | DIMAPUR             |
| 19      | DURGAPUR            |
| 20      | GAYA                |
| 21      | GOA                 |
| 22      | GUWAHATI            |
| 23      | HUBLI               |
| 24      | HYDERABAD           |
| 25      | IMPHAL              |
| 26      | INDORE              |
| 27      | JAIPUR              |
| 28      | JAMMU               |
| 29      | JAMNAGAR            |
| 30      | JODHPUR             |
| 31      | KHAJURAHO           |
| 32      | KOLKATA             |
| 33      | LEH                 |
|         | KUNNUR              |
| 34      |                     |

|   S.NO_ | ONLY AI (DOMESTIC)   |
|---------|----------------------|
|      36 | MADURAI              |
|      37 | MANGALORE            |
|      38 | MUMBAI               |
|      39 | NAGPUR               |
|      40 | NANDED               |
|      41 | PATNA                |
|      42 | PORT BLAIR           |
|      43 | PUNE                 |
|      44 | RAIPUR               |
|      45 | RAJKOT               |
|      46 | RANCHI               |
|      47 | SILCHAR              |
|      48 | SRINAGAR             |
|      49 | SURAT                |
|      50 | TIRUPATI             |
|      51 | TRIVANDRUM           |
|      52 | UDAIPUR              |
|      53 | VADODARA             |
|      54 | VARANASI             |
|      55 | VIJAYWADA            |
|      56 | VIZAG                |