Eleven more greenfield airports in the works: Centre

27 Dec 2022 CW Team

The government of India has accorded in-principle approval for setting up 21 greenfield airports across the country. Ten such airports have been operationalised so far, the latest being the Manohar International Airport at Mopa, Goa, which was inaugurated on December 11 this year, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Lt Gen (Retd) V K Singh told the Rajya Sabha. Since 2018, seven airports - Pakyong (Sikkim), Kannur (Kerela), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh), Orvakal (Andhra Pradesh) and Donyi Polo (Arunachal Pradesh) - have been operationalised apart from Manohar International Airport.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has incurred a cost of Rs 25.04 billion in 2017-18, Rs 42.97 billion in 2018-19, Rs 47.13 billion in 2019-20, Rs 43.50 billion in 2020-21 and Rs 37.24 billion in 2021-22 for the construction of these airports.

During the pre-Covid period, in the year 2018-19, the passenger footfall at airports across the country increased by 11.6% as compared to the previous year, 2017-18. The number of passengers decreased during the pandemic. Post-Covid, in the year 2021-22 the trend showed an increase of 63.7% over 2020-21, the minister said.

Infrastructure Transport

06 May 2026

Pune To Build Nine Km Link Road Between Highways

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to appoint an expert to plan the development of a nine km long, 60 metre wide road from Khadi Machine chowk to Wadki chowk as an extension to the Katraj-Kondhwa road to link the Mumbai-Satara and Pune-Solapur national highways. The scheme is intended to divert heavy vehicle traffic away from the city and improve access between the two arterial routes. The project has been prioritised by the PMC and forms part of a larger set of schemes in which 19 roads have been identified for development at a combined cost of Rs 9.82 billion (bn) to address c..

Barabanki Bahraich Six Lane Highway Approved in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved construction of a new six-lane highway linking Barabanki and Bahraich as part of National Highway 927, and the cabinet has cleared the project. The alignment will pass through Mustafabad and Kaiserganj and extend for about 101.5 km, creating a key corridor for local and long-distance movement. The National Highways Authority of India will oversee the work and has signalled the scheme is intended to strengthen regional connectivity and cross-border access to Nepal. The project carries an estimated total cost of Rs 69,690 million, equivalent to Rs 69.69..

Toll At Kharegaon Likely As Highway Upgrade Nears Completion

A section of the highway at Kharegaon has undergone an upgrade and is approaching completion, and authorities have indicated plans for a toll to be introduced once works finish. The project has focused on strengthening the carriageway, improving drainage and upgrading intersections to enhance safety and capacity. Officials have said the toll will be used to recover construction costs and fund ongoing maintenance. The upgrade included resurfacing of the pavement, widening of certain stretches and installation of modern signage and lighting to reduce accident risk. Contractors completed most ma..