Lok Sabha Question No. 2466 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Status of Prayagraj Airport
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Praveen Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION Lok Sabha

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 2466

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  13th March 2025 )

## STATUS OF PRAYAGRAJ AIRPORT

2466.    SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  give  international airport status to Prayagraj Airport and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  number  of  flights  from  different  countries  landed  and taken off during the Maha Kumbh at the said Airport;
- (c) the number of pilgrims travelled to Prayagraj airport through domestic flights; and
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  any  further  plan  to  connect Prayagraj airport with more cities through direct domestic flights and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a):  Prayagraj  Airport  is  a  domestic  airport.  Declaration  of  an airport as an International Airport depends upon traffic potential, demand from airlines for the operation of international flights and bilateral  Air  Services  Agreement  besides  provision  of  Ground Lighting  facilities,  Instrument  Landing  System,  runway  length, Immigration, Health and Animal & Plant Quarantine services etc. Currently,  no  such  proposal  for  declaration  of  Prayagraj  Airport as an International Airport is under consideration in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. (b):  The  no.  of  flights  from  different  countries,  operated  from Prayagraj Airport during Maha Kumbh is given at Annexure-A. (c):  The  total  passengers  handled  by  scheduled  airlines  at Prayagraj airport during Maha Kumbh (13th January 2025 to 26th February 2025) is 5.43 lakh.; (d): The present flight connectivity of Prayagraj airport is given at Annexure-B.  Further,  with  the  repeal  of  Air  Corporations  Act  in March, 1994, the Indian domestic aviation has been deregulated. It is therefore up to the airlines to provide air services to specific places  depending  upon  the  traffic  demand  and  commercial viability subject to compliance with the extant guidelines in this regard. Airlines plan their domestic flight schedule on a specific route/city based on market demand, commercial feasibility, and their company policy on which Government has no control.

- ******

The present flight connectivity of Prayagraj airport is given as under:

| Airlines operating          | Airports connected                                                  |   Weekly schedule aircraft movements (Arr. + Dep.) |
|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| Indigo, Alliance Air, Akasa | Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Shamshabad, Raipur, Bilaspur |                                                 88 |

## Annexure-A

The  no.  of  flights  from  different  countries,  operated  from  Prayagraj  Airport during Mahakumbh, are as under:

|   Arrival aircraft movement (Landing) |   Departure aircraft movement (Take off) | Sector, Country   |
|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|                                     1 |                                        2 | Paro, Bhutan      |
|                                     2 |                                        1 | Dubai, UAE        |
|                                     1 |                                        0 | Rome, Italy       |
|                                     1 |                                        1 | Bangkok, Thailand |

## Annexure-B