The central government has announced a comprehensive five-year plan to develop and expand 50 airports in smaller cities, Mint reported.
This strategic initiative led by the Aviation Authority of India (AAI) aims to strengthen aviation infrastructure through various initiatives undertaken by the central government, state authorities, and the private sector during the year 2030.
The ambitious plan comes amid a surge in domestic travel, with Indian airlines reaching record highs. Domestic flights carried 477,554 passengers on September 2, surpassing the previous record of 470,751 passengers recorded on April 21 earlier this year.
A major milestone in the plan is the development of Bita Airport, which will become the second airport for Patna, the capital of the state of Bihar. The airport is planning to break ground by the end of 2024 to upgrade the Patna airport in the early 2030s due to increased travel demand.
When operational, Bihta Airport will have more than 60 check-in counters, and more than 15 self-check-in kiosks, and can handle 3,000 passengers during peak hours. The airport is expected to handle 5 million passengers annually over the next twenty years.
The five-year plan also includes construction of greenfield airports at Ankleshwar and Dwarka in Gujarat. Pragya Priyadarshini, vice president of management consultants Primus Partners, said that the development plan is expected to increase the demand for air travel in cities that do not have access or are not available As new industries, infrastructure, and services emerge in the region, the need for better connectivity with other countries and the world increases.
Apart from the new airport, the government is also preparing to start the development of new facilities at several airports. The projects planned for the next five years are Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, Hashimala in West Bengal, and Toiz in Ladakh.
In addition, old airports will be converted to accommodate larger aircraft.
Major improvements include changes to VFR (Visual Flight Rules) operations for narrow aircraft such as Airbus A320 at Agatti Airport and implementation of IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) for narrow aircraft at Pantnagar Airport in Uttarakhand Operations and expansion of Mysore Airport. to handle narrow-gauge aircraft. VFR flight rules require pilots to look at the ground and avoid obstacles and other aircraft while operating the aircraft. In contrast, IFR flight operations rely on instrument navigation when visual references are insufficient.
Currently, India has 131 operational airports, including international, domestic, and customs airports.
As the number of flights continues to increase, Indian airlines are gearing up to meet the growing demand. Major airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air plan to have more than 1,600 new planes by the end of the decade to increase capacity and connectivity.