AAI, Private Airport Operators To Invest Rs 98,000 Crore For Development Of New And Existing Airports

In a bid to boost the growth in the aviation sector, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and other private airport operators will be investing around Rs 98,000 crore to develop new and existing airports, the Parliament was told on Monday (12 December).

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen (Retired) V K Singh said that to meet the challenges presented by this unprecedented growth in air traffic, the AAI is undertaking development of infrastructure at the airports, depending upon the commercial viability, traffic demand, availability of land etc.

"Further, in order to boost the growth in the aviation sector, AAI and other private airport operators have taken up the development of new and existing airports with a projected capital expenditure of around Rs. 98,000 crore over the next five years," the minister said.

He said that the Centre had accorded 'in-principle' approval for setting up of six greenfield airports namely, Dholera (at a sanction of Rs 1,305 crore) and Hirasar (Rs 1,405 crore) in Gujarat, Dagadarthi (Rs 293 crore), Bhogapuram (Rs.2500 crore) and Oravakal (Kurnool) (Rs187 crore) in Andhra Pradesh and Donyi Polo (Rs.646 crore), Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh during the last seven years.

Out of these, Oravakal and Donyi Polo airports have been operationalised, he added