Govt plans Rs 36,000 cr investment for greenfield airports

The Minister of Civil Aviation, V K Singh, told the media that the ministry had planned Rs 36,000 crore investment for developing greenfield airports under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. He added that highly price-sensitive customers and high taxes on jet fuel are major challenges faced by the civil aviation sector of India. He said that adequate safety measures are already in place for the safe operation of aircraft at airports, including those having table-top runways, as per the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) civil aviation requirements. Singh said that the aviation sector is facing several challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic, high taxes on aviation fuel, the weak financial status of some airlines and sub-optimal infrastructures. Other challenges are sub-optimal leasing, Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) and manufacturing, low presence on international routes, mega aviation hubs in India and shortage of skilled professionals. The PPP airports at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are undertaking major expansion projects of around Rs 30,000 crore by 2025. Additionally, Rs 36,000 crore will be invested in developing new greenfield airports in India under the PPP model. The government has accorded in-principle approval for developing 21 greenfield airports across India. There are five airports with table-top runways, including Calicut, Mangaluru, Shimla, Lengpui and Pakyong. There are 140 airports, heliports and water aerodromes in India, and 24 airports of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) are non-operational. AAI has undertaken the restoration work of the basic strip at Shimla airport at Rs 101.75 crore. Other work has been taken up for a concrete cladding wall to have the uphill slope and strengthen the base of the reinforced earth wall at Rs 180.61 crore at Pakyong airport. At Manguluru airport for the expansion of the terminal building, construction of parallel taxi track and grading of the basic strip at Rs 567 crore. Image Source Also read: Civil aviation ministry to privatise 25 more AAI airports across India