Lok Sabha Question No. 856 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Establishment of Regional and International Airports
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 856

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  24th July 2025 )

## ESTABLISHMENT OF REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL

## AIRPORTS

## 856.    SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  details  of  the  specific  parameters  and  criteria  set  by  the Government for establishing regional or international airports in the country;
- (b)  whether the Government has conducted any surveys/studies to assess  future  demand  for  airports  and  air  connectivity,  if  so,  the findings thereof along with the plans formulated by the Government to  increase  the  number  of  airports  accordingly  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has maintained data on air passenger traffic  during  the  last  three  years,  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State and district-wise and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  establish  a  greenfield airport in the Barnala and Sangrur areas of Punjab, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL  AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

(a): Government of India (GoI) has formulated a Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008 for development of new Greenfield airports in the country.  As  per  the  policy,  if  any  airport  developer,  including  the State Government, desires to develop an airport, they are required to  identify  a  suitable  site  and  get  the  Techno-Economic  Prefeasibility Study conducted alongwith the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of the airport and submit a proposal to the Central Government.

MoCA has also launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN scheme  for  revival  of  unserved  and  undeserved  airports  in  the country to facilitate/stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses. Further, declaration of an airport as an International Airport depends  upon  various  factors  like  traffic  potential  demand  from airlines  for  operation  of  international  flights,  availability  of  the facilities like suitable length of runway to cater to medium capacity long-range aircraft or equivalent type of aircraft, scope for extending the runway length further as per future requirements for large bodied air crafts, availability of Ground Lighting Facilities and Instrument  Landing  System  for  operation  of  aircraft  at  night  and availability  of  Customs,  Immigration,  Health  and  Animal  &  Plant Quarantine services.

(b):  Modernisation  and  expansion  of  infrastructure  facilities  at existing airports is a continuous process undertaken by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) or the concerned airport operators/developers,  depending  on  traffic  demand,  commercial viability, land availability,  operational  requirements  for  aircraft safety, and demand from airlines.;

(c):  The  state-wise  details  of  total  air  passengers  handled  by  all Indian Airports during last three years are at Annexure.

(d):  Government  of  India  (GoI)  has  not  received  any  proposal seeking approval under the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008, for the development of a greenfield airport in Barnala and Sangrur areas of Punjab, either from the concerned State Government or any airport developer.

- ******

| Annexure reffered to in part (c) of the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 856 for answer on 24.07.2025 Traffic Handled At All Indian Airports During 2022-23 to   | Annexure reffered to in part (c) of the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 856 for answer on 24.07.2025 Traffic Handled At All Indian Airports During 2022-23 to   | Annexure reffered to in part (c) of the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 856 for answer on 24.07.2025 Traffic Handled At All Indian Airports During 2022-23 to   | Annexure reffered to in part (c) of the reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 856 for answer on 24.07.2025 Traffic Handled At All Indian Airports During 2022-23 to   |
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| 2024-25 (In Number)                                                                                                                                                       | 2024-25 (In Number)                                                                                                                                                       | 2024-25 (In Number)                                                                                                                                                       | 2024-25 (In Number)                                                                                                                                                       |
| STATE                                                                                                                                                                     | 2022-2023                                                                                                                                                                 | 2023-2024                                                                                                                                                                 | 2024-2025                                                                                                                                                                 |
| A AND N ISLAND                                                                                                                                                            | 1273138                                                                                                                                                                   | 1453811                                                                                                                                                                   | 1656704                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ANDHRA PRADESH                                                                                                                                                            | 4927856                                                                                                                                                                   | 5251936                                                                                                                                                                   | 5900958                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                                                                                                                         | 62156                                                                                                                                                                     | 168348                                                                                                                                                                    | 188459                                                                                                                                                                    |
| ASSAM                                                                                                                                                                     | 6348422                                                                                                                                                                   | 7386309                                                                                                                                                                   | 7661986                                                                                                                                                                   |
| BIHAR                                                                                                                                                                     | 4592209                                                                                                                                                                   | 4286811                                                                                                                                                                   | 4671954                                                                                                                                                                   |
| CHANDIGARH                                                                                                                                                                | 3677786                                                                                                                                                                   | 3721229                                                                                                                                                                   | 4149840                                                                                                                                                                   |
| CHHATISHGARH                                                                                                                                                              | 2356552                                                                                                                                                                   | 2518220                                                                                                                                                                   | 2684210                                                                                                                                                                   |
| DAMAN AND DIU                                                                                                                                                             | 40109                                                                                                                                                                     | 66252                                                                                                                                                                     | 104218                                                                                                                                                                    |
| DELHI                                                                                                                                                                     | 65328018                                                                                                                                                                  | 73673877                                                                                                                                                                  | 79259936                                                                                                                                                                  |
| GOA                                                                                                                                                                       | 9023553                                                                                                                                                                   | 11278498                                                                                                                                                                  | 11888726                                                                                                                                                                  |
| GUJARAT                                                                                                                                                                   | 13575521                                                                                                                                                                  | 15745612                                                                                                                                                                  | 18008745                                                                                                                                                                  |
| HARYANA                                                                                                                                                                   | 128                                                                                                                                                                       | 35                                                                                                                                                                        | 0                                                                                                                                                                         |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                                                                                                                          | 205111                                                                                                                                                                    | 238059                                                                                                                                                                    | 264976                                                                                                                                                                    |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR                                                                                                                                                         | 5989184                                                                                                                                                                   | 5662108                                                                                                                                                                   | 6086616                                                                                                                                                                   |
| JHARKHAND                                                                                                                                                                 | 2498607                                                                                                                                                                   | 2750357                                                                                                                                                                   | 2860366                                                                                                                                                                   |
| KARNATAKA                                                                                                                                                                 | 34657726                                                                                                                                                                  | 40529695                                                                                                                                                                  | 45212219                                                                                                                                                                  |
| KERALA                                                                                                                                                                    | 16530563                                                                                                                                                                  | 19269114                                                                                                                                                                  | 21071752                                                                                                                                                                  |
| LADAKH                                                                                                                                                                    | 1260725                                                                                                                                                                   | 1074426                                                                                                                                                                   | 1194892                                                                                                                                                                   |
| LAKSHDWEEP ISLAND                                                                                                                                                         | 48485                                                                                                                                                                     | 47266                                                                                                                                                                     | 117409                                                                                                                                                                    |
| MADHYA PRADESH                                                                                                                                                            | 4640310                                                                                                                                                                   | 5503314                                                                                                                                                                   | 6159848                                                                                                                                                                   |
| MAHARASHTRA                                                                                                                                                               | 56112562                                                                                                                                                                  | 67072624                                                                                                                                                                  | 70817308                                                                                                                                                                  |
| MANIPUR                                                                                                                                                                   | 1233997                                                                                                                                                                   | 1274666                                                                                                                                                                   | 1406227                                                                                                                                                                   |
| MEGHALAYA                                                                                                                                                                 | 109788                                                                                                                                                                    | 154658                                                                                                                                                                    | 119982                                                                                                                                                                    |
| MIZORAM                                                                                                                                                                   | 357639                                                                                                                                                                    | 398667                                                                                                                                                                    | 493465                                                                                                                                                                    |
| NAGALAND                                                                                                                                                                  | 295361                                                                                                                                                                    | 319590                                                                                                                                                                    | 336870                                                                                                                                                                    |
| ODISHA                                                                                                                                                                    | 3871110                                                                                                                                                                   | 4873716                                                                                                                                                                   | 5211879                                                                                                                                                                   |
| PUDUCHERRY                                                                                                                                                                | 75870                                                                                                                                                                     | 45441                                                                                                                                                                     | 34190                                                                                                                                                                     |
| PUNJAB                                                                                                                                                                    | 2516970                                                                                                                                                                   | 3095893                                                                                                                                                                   | 3611107                                                                                                                                                                   |
| RAJASTHAN                                                                                                                                                                 | 7198657                                                                                                                                                                   | 8242580                                                                                                                                                                   | 8970754                                                                                                                                                                   |
| SIKKIM                                                                                                                                                                    | 15707                                                                                                                                                                     | 8417                                                                                                                                                                      | 11111                                                                                                                                                                     |
| TAMILNADU                                                                                                                                                                 | 23983881                                                                                                                                                                  | 27404120                                                                                                                                                                  | 29380660                                                                                                                                                                  |
| TELANGANA                                                                                                                                                                 | 20997965                                                                                                                                                                  | 25050346                                                                                                                                                                  | 29181072                                                                                                                                                                  |
| TRIPURA                                                                                                                                                                   | 1386087                                                                                                                                                                   | 1470670                                                                                                                                                                   | 1410793                                                                                                                                                                   |
| UTTAR PRADESH                                                                                                                                                             | 9603285                                                                                                                                                                   | 11302659                                                                                                                                                                  | 14227967                                                                                                                                                                  |
| UTTRAKHAND                                                                                                                                                                | 1667517                                                                                                                                                                   | 1710854                                                                                                                                                                   | 1842254                                                                                                                                                                   |
| WEST BENGAL                                                                                                                                                               | 20816581                                                                                                                                                                  | 23421929                                                                                                                                                                  | 25569494                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Grand Total                                                                                                                                                               | 327279136                                                                                                                                                                 | 376472107                                                                                                                                                                 | 411768947                                                                                                                                                                 |

## Annexure