Lok Sabha Question No. 3023 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-18
Subject: Status of Airports in Chhattisgarh
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3023

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  18 th   December 2025 )

## STATUS OF AIRPORTS IN CHHATTISGARH

## 3023.    SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

(a) the current operational status  (Domestic/Customs/International)  of  all  eight  major airports/airstrips in Chhattisgarh including Raipur, Bilaspur, Jagdalpur, Raigarh, Korba and Ambikapur along with the total number of operational flight routes to and from the said State as on date, airport-wise;

(b) the estimated timeline fixed for granting international airport status to  Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur and commissioning the proposed cargo hub, customs facilities and international operations therefrom;

(c) the status of inclusion of Bilaspur and Jagdalpur Airports under the UDAN scheme along with the plans to restore financial assistance for RCS flights and enhance connectivity from Ambikapur to major cities like Varanasi and Ayodhya;

(d) the specific steps being taken to establish an MRO facility in Chhattisgarh; and

(e) the name of the State having the most customer/industry-friendly UDAN policy and the details of the proposal, if any, to replicate the same at the national level?

## ANSWER

## Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

## (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

(a) : In the state of Chhattisgarh, four airports have been licensed for scheduled operations. Raipur Airport is operational as a domestic airport with scheduled commercial services to 14 domestic destinations with approximately 380 flight movement per week. Further, Jagdalpur, Bilaspur and Ambikapur Airports have been operationalized under the RCS-UDAN scheme with Jagdalpur Airport connected on the Jagdalpur-Hyderabad and Jagdalpur-Raipur routes, while Bilaspur Airport is connected on the Bilaspur-Jabalpur route. Present flight operations at Ambikapur have stopped due to Airlines internal issues.;

(b) : Declaration of an airport as International airport depends upon traffic potential, demand from the State Government or airlines for the operation of international flights, and bilateral Air Services Agreements. Additionally, infrastructure requirements such as Ground Lighting facilities,  Instrument  Landing  System,  runway  length,  Immigration,  Health  and  Animal  & Plant  Quarantine  services  etc.  are  also  taken  into  consideration.  For  development  of international  air  cargo  facility  at  Raipur  Airport  a  tripartite  agreement  has  been  signed between  the  Government  of  Chhattisgarh,  Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  and  AAICLAS  on 16.06.2025.;

(c)  :  UDAN  is  a  market  driven  on  going  scheme  in  which  bidding  rounds  are  conducted periodically to cover more destinations and interested airlines submit proposal for connectivity, which are awarded as per scheme provisions. ; (d) : Government facilitates setting up of Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services in India  through  various  policy, regulatory and  other  incentives  rather  than establishing any facility on its own. ; ; Government  of  India  has  taken  various  initiatives  to  boost  indigenous  manufacturing  and MRO  sector  in  the  country,  such  as  GST  rate  rationalisation,  abolition  of  royalties, amendments  to  the  Visa  Manual  for  foreign  pilots  and  crew  engaged  in  MRO  services, extension in relevant timelines of the export period for goods imported for repairs and of reimport of goods for repairs under warranty. ; (e) : Different states have developed different VGF support models to promote connectivity in their state.

******