AERA Bill: Rajya Sabha approves bill to develop smaller airports

06 Aug 2021 CW Team

On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha approved the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill 2021, despite opposition parties' protests over the Pegasus snooping issue.

The bill aims to encourage the development of smaller airports by grouping them to make them more appealing to investors.

This now clears the way for the bill to be signed into law. The Lok Sabha had approved it on July 29 and will now require President Ram Nath Kovind’s approval.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Civil Aviation Minister, introduced the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill 2021 on the House floor, proposing to change the definition of a major airport under the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Act, 2008 (AERA Act).

Scindia also listed many areas that have benefited from the Udaan, or regional connectivity scheme, launched by the central government.

Several smaller cities, such as Darbhanga in Bihar, Belgaum and Hubli in Karnataka, Jharsuguda in Odisha, and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, which was previously missing from the map of civil aviation, have seen 110 flight movements from various parts of the country over the last one and a half years.

Following that, the bill was referred to a parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism, and culture, which approved it with no changes.

Poonam Verma, partner, J Sagar Associates told the media that the bill aims to support the government's plan to privatise smaller airports as part of its asset monetization programme, which was announced in the 2021-22 budget. The bill also promises to speed up the development of smaller airports and the UDAN regional air connectivity scheme by extending air connectivity to more remote areas.

The amendment will allow AERA to regulate aeronautical service tariffs and other charges for not only major airports with annual passenger traffic exceeding 3.5 million but also for a group of airports.

Image Source

Also read: Lok Sabha passes AERA bill on airport privatisation

On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha approved the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill 2021, despite opposition parties' protests over the Pegasus snooping issue. The bill aims to encourage the development of smaller airports by grouping them to make them more appealing to investors. This now clears the way for the bill to be signed into law. The Lok Sabha had approved it on July 29 and will now require President Ram Nath Kovind’s approval. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Civil Aviation Minister, introduced the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill 2021 on the House floor, proposing to change the definition of a major airport under the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Act, 2008 (AERA Act). Scindia also listed many areas that have benefited from the Udaan, or regional connectivity scheme, launched by the central government. Several smaller cities, such as Darbhanga in Bihar, Belgaum and Hubli in Karnataka, Jharsuguda in Odisha, and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, which was previously missing from the map of civil aviation, have seen 110 flight movements from various parts of the country over the last one and a half years. Following that, the bill was referred to a parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism, and culture, which approved it with no changes. Poonam Verma, partner, J Sagar Associates told the media that the bill aims to support the government's plan to privatise smaller airports as part of its asset monetization programme, which was announced in the 2021-22 budget. The bill also promises to speed up the development of smaller airports and the UDAN regional air connectivity scheme by extending air connectivity to more remote areas. The amendment will allow AERA to regulate aeronautical service tariffs and other charges for not only major airports with annual passenger traffic exceeding 3.5 million but also for a group of airports. Image Source Also read: Lok Sabha passes AERA bill on airport privatisation

Infrastructure Transport

30 Oct 2025

RVNL wins North Eastern Railway bridge project worth Rs 1.66 billion

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) announced on 27 October that it has emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) for a significant infrastructure project awarded by the North Eastern Railway, as part of its routine business operations. The project involves the construction of the substructure for Important Bridge No. 50, which will comprise 14 spans of 61 metres each. It will feature a Double D-type well foundation designed for a double line and adhere to the RDSO 25T axle loading standard. The bridge will be built over the river Gandak, situated between Paniyahwa and Valmikinagar stations, as part of ..

Infrastructure Transport

30 Oct 2025

Northern Railways plans direct Kashmir link with India

Following the successful launch of twin Vande Bharat trains on the Srinagar–Katra route, marking the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link in June, Northern Railways is now working towards providing direct rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country, an official has confirmed. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, said that efforts are underway to resolve operational and security challenges to achieve this milestone for Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to PTI after introducing a two-minute stoppage for the semi-high-sp..

Infrastructure Transport

30 Oct 2025

Railway Board approves new station at Nedumbassery airport

The Railway Board has approved the construction of a new railway station at Nedumbassery, fulfilling a long-standing demand from air passengers using the Cochin International Airport. Union Minister George Kurian’s office announced on Wednesday that the decision marks a major step towards enhancing rail connectivity to the airport, which serves as one of southern India’s key transport hubs. According to the statement, Kurian had earlier met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who assured him that the project would be expedited. The plan gathered momentum following Vaishnaw’s visit last ..