Lok Sabha Question No. 669 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-28
Subject: Development of Aviation Infrastructure
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Dr. Lata Wankhede

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## Lok Sabha

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 669

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  28th November 2024 )

## DEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE

## 669.    DR. LATA WANKHEDE

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the  details  of  the  schemes  formulated  by  the  Government  for setting up of new airports and development of aviation infrastructure;
- (b) the names of the cities where new airports are being set up;
- (c)  whether the Government proposes any new initiatives to make air  travel  more  affordable  and  accessible  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (d) the number of new routes included under the UDAN scheme; and
- (e)  the steps being taken by the Government to strengthen the air connectivity for small cities and villages?

## ANSWER

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

CIVIL  AVIATION

(a) & (b):  Government of India has formulated a Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008 which provides guidelines, procedure and conditions  for  establishment  of  new  Greenfield  Airports  in  the country.    As  per  Policy,    an  airport  developer,  including  the  State Government,  willing  to  establish  an  airport  is  required  to  send  a proposal  to  Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  (MoCA),  in  the  prescribed format for a 2-stage approval process i.e. 'Site Clearance' followed by 'In-Principle' approval.

Government of India has so far accorded 'In-principle' approval for setting  up  of  21  Greenfield  Airports  across  the  country,namely, Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra,

Kalaburagi,  Vijayapura,  Hassan  and  Shivamogga  in  Karnataka, Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and  Rajkot in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry,  Dagadarthi,  Bhogapuram  and  Oravakal  (kurnool)  in Andhra  Pradesh,  Durgapur  in  West  Bengal,  Pakyong  in  Sikkim, Kannur  in  Kerala  and  Itanagar  in  Arunachal  Pradesh  across  the country. Out  of  these,  12  Greenfield  airports,  namely,  Durgapur,  Shirdi, Sindhudurg,  Pakyong,  Kannur,  Kalaburagi,  Oravakal,  Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa, Shivammogga and Rajkot have been operationalised. With  a  view  to  strengthen    the  aviation  infrastructure    in  the country,  Airports  Authority  of  India  (AAI)  and  PPP  Partners  have embarked upon a CAPEX plan of more than Rs. 91,000 crore during FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25, Out of this, more than Rs. 25,000 crore capital expenditure is being incurred by AAI and the remaining by private airport operators/developers under PPP mode. (c) to (e): With a view to make air travel affordable to the masses, Government  launched  RCS  -  UDAN  in  October  2016  to  enhance regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the  country.  Promoting  affordability  is  envisioned  under  UDAN  by supporting  Selected  Airline  Operators  (SAOs)  through  concessions by  the  Central  Government,  State  Governments/UTs  and  airport operators to reduce the cost of operations on regional routes and providing financial Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support to meet the gap. UDAN  is  a  demand  driven  Scheme  wherein  interested  airlines, based on their assessment of demand on particular routes, submit their  proposals  at  the  time  of  bidding  under  the  Scheme.  The development/revival/up-gradation of unserved and underserved airports/airstrips is undertaken upon its identification through valid bid and award to the Selected Airline Operator (SAO). As  on  25.11.2024,  609  routes  connecting  86  airports,  including  2 been operationalised  under  RCS.  More  than146  lakh  passengers  across

Water Aerodromes and 13 Heliports, have so far the country have so far benefited from the UDAN Scheme.

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