Lok Sabha Question No. 6225 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-02
Subject: Expansion of Airport Infrastructure
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Vishnu Dayal Ram, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Dr. Bhola Singh, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Smt. Himadri Singh, Dr. Hemang Joshi, Dr. K Sudhakar, Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Shri Mukeshkumar Chandrakaant Dalal, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Shri Shankar Lalwani, Shri Khagen Murmu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 6225

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  2nd April 2026 )

## EXPANSION OF AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

## 6225.    DR. K SUDHAKAR

DR. BHOLA SINGH

SMT APARAJITA SARANGI

SMT HIMADRI SINGH

SHRI MUKESHKUMAR CHANDRAKAANT DALAL

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI

SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI

SHRI KHAGEN MURMU

DR. HEMANG JOSHI

SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM

SMT SMITA UDAY WAGH

DR. SANJAY JAISWAL

DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  comprehensive  assessment  of  airport infrastructure capacity in view of the rapid growth of air passenger traffic including handling of 412 million passengers during the Financial Year (FY) 2025 and projected growth to 665 million by FY 2031 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the present number of operational airports in the country and the projected expansion of the airport network;
- (c) whether the Government has prepared any long-term roadmap for expansion of the airport network in the country, particularly in view of the stated vision to substantially increase the number of operational airports in the coming decades and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the current status of Shahdol Airstrip in Madhya Pradesh;
- (e)  whether there is any proposal under the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme to develop  the  said  airstrip  into  a  fully  functional  commercial  airport  to  serve  the  tribal  and industrial belt of Shahdol, if so, the details thereof;
- (f) the present status of development works at Jalgaon Airport in Maharashtra including the
- progress of the airport terminal building extension and runway extension works there; and
- (g)  the  future  plans  and  timeline  for  further  expansion,  modernization and enhancement of aviation facilities at Jalgaon Airport to improve regional connectivity and passenger services?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c):  The  expansion  including  augmentation  of  capacity  is  carried  out  by  Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other airport operators based on passenger demand, operational requirements  and  airline  demand,  in  view  of  traffic  growth.  During  the  last  few  years, expansion  projects  have  been  taken  up  at  several  airports  across  the  country  resulting  in augmentation of passenger-handling capacity to over 570 million passengers per annum.;

As  on  28.02.2026  there  are  164  airports  in  the  country.  In  pursuance  to  the  objectives  of Viksit  Bharat  2047,  airport  development  and  expansion  are  being  undertaken  through Greenfield  airports  under  the  Greenfield  Airports  Policy,  revival  of  unserved/underserved airports  under  RCS-UDAN,  upgradation  of  existing  airports  by  AAI,  and  promotion  of private investment through PPP. 25 Greenfield airports have received in-principle approval, 13 are operational, and 6 have site clearance. Under RCS-UDAN, 663 routes connecting 95 aerodromes  have  been  operationalised.  The  modified  UDAN  aims  to  connect  120  new destinations and serve 4 crore passengers in 10 years.;

(d)  &  (e):  Shahdol  airstrip  in  Madhya  Pradesh  is  included  in  the  tentative  list  of  unserved airports  identified  under  the  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme  (RCS)-UDAN.  At  present,  no RCS route has been awarded connecting Shahdol airstrip. ;

(f) & (g) Jalgaon Airport has been developed and operationalized under the UDAN scheme at a capital expenditure of Rs.28.55 crore. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a proposal, presently at a preliminary stage of planning, for expansion of the terminal building from 700 sqm to approximately 1500 sqm, with capacity to handle 150 departing and 150 arriving passengers during peak hours, along with allied passenger amenities and associated infrastructure, subject to requisite Government approvals, availability of land, and statutory/regulatory clearances.

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