India is set to build 200-220 more airports, heliports, and water aerodromes in the next five years, according to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. This development will increase the number of aviation facilities in the country from 148 to between 200 and 220.
Scindia announced this plan during a press conference held in New Delhi that addressed the work done by the aviation sector over the past nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
In addition to the new facilities, Scindia praised recent developments, including the construction of eight airports in northeast India. Previously, some regions in the area lacked nearby airports, but this has since changed. Arunachal Pradesh now has three airports, and Sikkim has one.
Scindia also discussed the capacity of India’s current airport system, which includes six major metros: Bombay, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata. As of now, these metros can handle up to 22 crores, but the government aims to double that capacity, including at Jevar and Navi Mumbai, within the next eight years.
The minister also noted the crucial role the civil aviation ministry played in bringing Indian students back to the country during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The press conference was part of the Mega Jan-Sampark Abhiyan, where BJP ministers will visit each state capital to provide a report card on the government’s work over the past nine years.
