Lok Sabha Question No. 72 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-04
Subject: Strengthening of Civil Aviation Infrastructure
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Smt. D K Aruna, Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. : 72

(To be answered on the 4 th December 2025)

## STRENGTHENING OF CIVIL AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE

## *72. SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI SMT D K ARUNA

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) the key initiatives undertaken by the Government to strengthen Centre StateIndustry collaboration for accelerating civil aviation growth, particularly in the areas of  airport  infrastructure,  regional  connectivity,  skill  development  and  ecosystem expansion in the eastern region, particularly in Odisha, Jharkhand and also areas having tourist places in Rajasthan, since August, 2025;
- (b) the  details  and  number  of  airports,  new  routes  under  the  Ude  Desh  kaAam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities that have become operational in the eastern region, Jharkhand and
- areas having tourist places in Rajasthan during the said period;
- (c) the likely short and medium term impact and contribution of the seinitiatives on  economic  growth,  connectivity  and  employment  generation;  (d)  the  specific timeframe, targets  and  milestones  set  by  the  Government  for  expanding  aviation access to tier-two and tier-three cities in the said areas/places; and
- (e) the status of proposals relating to establishing smaller airfields including Gudari airstrip  under  the  Kandhamal  Lok  Sabha  Constituency  and  Manpur  airstrip,  Abu Road in Rajasthan?

## ANSWER

(  Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu  )

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 72 FOR REPLY ON  04.12.2025  REGARDING  STRENGTHENING  OF  CIVIL  AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE ASKED BY SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI AND SMT. D K ARUNA.

(a)  to  (e):  The  modernization  and  development  of  airport  infrastructure  is  a continuous process undertaken based on passenger demand forecasts, operational and safety requirements, and airline needs.

To strengthen regional aviation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been organizing Regional  Civil  Aviation  Ministers'  Conferences  for  structured  engagement  with States and industry stakeholders on airport development, UDAN connectivity, skill development, and ecosystem growth. The Eastern Region Conference held on 25th August 2025 at Bhubaneswar provided a platform for Odisha, Jharkhand and other Eastern States to discuss opportunities for aviation expansion. Similar engagements also support tourism-rich regions such as Rajasthan through focused coordination and faster decision-making.

Under UDAN, Purnea Airport in Bihar was developed and inaugurated on 15th September 2025, and is now connected to Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

In  2025,  AAI  allotted  land  for  MRO  facilities  to  the  State  Government  at Bhubaneswar Airport and to Ever deliver Logistics Pvt. Ltd. at Kolkata Airport.

DGCA also approved one Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Dumka, Jharkhand in August 2025.

On  19.08.2025,  the  Cabinet  Committee  on  Economic  Affairs  approved  the development of a Greenfield Airport at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan at an estimated cost of Rs. 1507 crore.

UDAN  has  strengthened  the  Eastern  Region  by  improving  connectivity  and accessibility,  boosting  tourism  and  industry,  enhancing  access  to  healthcare,  and generating direct and indirect employment. The Government has further announced the  Modified  UDAN  Scheme  to  expand  regional  connectivity  to  120  new destinations nationwide, including the Eastern Region, targeting 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years.

Gudari (Phulbani) Airstrip in Odisha and Manpur (Abu Road) Airstrip in Rajasthan are listed as unserved airports under UDAN. However, no airline has submitted bids to operate RCS flights from these airstrips in the previous rounds of bidding.

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