There are several upcoming airports in India that promise to revolutionize air connectivity throughout the country while boosting infrastructure and business development simultaneously.
Wondering about the major upcoming airports in India? Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister and Minister of Corporate Affairs, has already confirmed that 100 additional airports will be built in India by the year 2024. This announcement was made at the presentation of the Union Budget for FY2020-21 and Rs. 1.7 trillion or approximately $23.7 billion was allotted for boosting the transportation infrastructure in the country. The new airports will be a boon under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik or UDAN blueprint. Regional air connectivity will ensure easier access to air travel for citizens, particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
The decision to invest in several upcoming airports in India is driven by forecasted growth of air fleets to 1,200 from 600 earlier. The airports will help in easing the current strain placed on the travel hubs of the country. The AAI (Airports Authority of India) holds responsibility for the management of 136 Indian airports and 6 other airports are operated on the PPP (public-private partnership) model. India is the third largest domestic civil aviation globally at present.
Recent updates on upcoming airports in India
Here’s taking a look at some of the upcoming airports in India and the updates on how they are shaping up.
- Sindhudurg Airport- This airport is situated only 27 kilometers away from the Goa-Mumbai Highway in Maharashtra and in the Sindhudurg District. The airport has already been inaugurated by former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis. The airport is located near various tourist hotspots including the Sindhudurg Fort and Tarkali Beach. Commercial operations should begin soon at this airport which can currently handle 400 travellers in terms of its capacity.
- Hirasar Airport- AAI and the Gujarat State Government inked their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for building this new Greenfield airport in the Rajkot District, at Hirasar. The Cabinet has issued its approval for construction of this airport for approximately Rs. 1,400 crore. The airport will cover 1,025 hectares near the National Highway 8B which links to Ahmedabad.
- Rourkela Airport- Odisha has already obtained regulatory permission for setting up its third airport at Rourkela. The DGCA has given its license for operation of flights at this airport. The airstrip and other aspects were reviewed previously before the green signal was given for operations under the UDAN blueprint. AAI had confirmed two more airports for the State of Odisha in 2019, namely Utkela (Kalahandi) and Jeypore.
- Orvakal Airport- One of the eagerly anticipated airports in India, the Greenfield airport has already been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh previously, N. Chandrababu Naidu. This is one of the low-cost airports out of a tally of 50 that were supposed to launch in the year 2013 itself although it has been delayed for several years. Flight operations are slowly starting here and it will boost business and tourism in Srisailam, Kurnool and Nandyal.
- Jewar Airport- Possibly one of the most talked about upcoming airports in India, the Jewar Airport at Greater Noida will help in reducing the strain on the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, while ensuring greater convenience for Noida residents as well. The airport will be situated approximately 60 kilometers away from Delhi and will be built for Rs. 20,000 crore across 4 phases. It is expected to cover 5,000 acres in total.
- Mopa Airport- Keeping the growing tourist volumes in mind, then-Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had proposed an additional international airport at North Goa’s Mopa which would relieve the pressure on the Dabolim Airport. The first phase is expected to be completed soon.
- Navi Mumbai International Airport- Covering 1,160 hectares in the Kopra-Panvel belt under the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region), the airport could be fully operational by the year 2023. MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Private Limited) has received approval for project development.
- Sabarimala Airport- Another popular inclusion in the list of upcoming airports in India, the airport venture was proposed in Sabarimala by the KGS Group at Aranmula. Owing to protests by locals and environmental groups, the State Government of Kerala has now decided to launch its Greenfield airport at Cheruvally Estate in Kanjirappally Taluk. This will ensure smoother connectivity by air for pilgrims visiting the renowned Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple and also those travelling from Central Travancore.
- Kannur International Airport- The Kannur Greenfield airport is already being constructed and commercial flight operations may start soon.
- New Vijayawada Airport- This airport has been proposed for catering to needs of travellers in the Amaravati capital of Andhra Pradesh. Sites at Thullur and Mangalagiri are also being considered for the airport project.
- Sriperumbudur Airport- The State Government of Tamil Nadu is holding talks with the Centre for building a second Chennai airport by the year 2035.
- Itanagar Airport- Another name in the list of eagerly awaited upcoming airports in India, the Itanagar Airport is yet to get full approval from the Central Government. The project is being proposed by the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh at Itanagar in Holongi. The master plan has already been readied for the project.
- Durgapur Airport- Kolkata is another metropolis which requires an additional airport to take care of rising passenger volumes. The State Government had previously suggested south Bengal’s Durgapur as a potential site for setting up a second airport. However, this proposal has been turned down by the AAI, since Durgapur is close to 200 kilometers away from Kolkata.
Now that you know about the major upcoming airports in India, you should follow up on their progress periodically for more updates. The development of these airports will go a long way towards enhancing air connectivity, making air travel accessible for all citizens and boosting infrastructure development and commercial growth.
