India is set to transform its smaller towns into aviation hubs with plans to establish 29 greenfield airports in underserved regions over the next two decades, marking the largest expansion effort of its kind. According to officials, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already completed feasibility studies for 10 of these airports, aiming to connect smaller towns with global air routes. Gujarat leads the development list with nine airports, followed by Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Thirteen other states will each receive one airport under the new plan, which aims to cater to long-term passenger growth over the next 20 years. Simultaneously, the government is preparing a five-year plan to upgrade existing airports and establish new ones in small cities, while also considering second or third airports in metro cities where current infrastructure is reaching capacity. Most of these proposed airports have been found feasible, and pre-feasibility studies are ongoing for the rest. The aim is to make these airports capable of handling at least single-aisle aircraft like the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737s, with many designed to accommodate larger dual-aisle planes for direct international connectivity, said an official. Another official emphasised the importance of developing larger airports in smaller cities to ensure long-term capacity as current facilities struggle to keep up with unexpected traffic growth. Analysts have welcomed the move, highlighting that airport planning should be driven by passenger demand forecasts rather than political considerations. Mark Martin, CEO of Martin Consulting, warned against politically motivated projects, stressing that regions like Manipal, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Bihar should be prioritised to address actual demand. The expansion comes as regional air travel surges post-pandemic, driven by the government’s UDAN scheme, which subsidises flights to underserved destinations. Launched in 2017, the scheme has significantly increased demand in smaller towns, with domestic routes rising from 215 in 2014 to 540 by April 2024, targeting 1,000 operational UDAN routes. Some smaller airports have seen a six-fold increase in passengers this fiscal year, albeit from a low base. The planned greenfield airports, along with upcoming metro projects like Jewar and Navi Mumbai, aim to meet the rising demand. Indian carriers ferried 8 million domestic passengers in the quarter ended June, a 17.6% year-on-year growth, while international passenger traffic rose 10% to 9.6 million. Projections suggest that 14 cities may soon need second or third airports, with Chennai and Pune already in advanced stages of planning and Mumbai and Bengaluru potentially requiring third airports by 2047. Tier-2 cities such as Srinagar, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gorakhpur, and Leh are also expected to need new airports over the next 10 to 20 years to accommodate future growth. (livemint)