Skift Take
Till a decade ago, roads and railways were major means of transportation between places other than metros and tier 1 cities in India. The inauguration of these airports plays a key role in regional air connectivity.
The annual passenger capacity at Indian airports is set to increase by 60 million. This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated new terminal buildings at 12 airports across the country.
These include the Delhi airport; Pune and Kolhapur airports in Maharashtra; Gwalior, Chitrakoot, and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh; Lucknow, Aligarh, Moradabad, Shravasti, and Azamgarh airports in Uttar Pradesh; and Adampur airport in Punjab.
He also laid foundation stones for new terminal buildings at Kadapa airport in Andhra Pradesh and Hubballi and Belagavi airports in Karnataka. Collectively, these three buildings will add a capacity of 9.5 million passengers annually.
Boost to aviation sector: While the government is increasing the number of airports in India, the Adani Group has revealed its plans to expand seven of the airports in its portfolio. This comes as the air passenger traffic in the country is expected to surpass the pre-Covid levels in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
The boost in aviation infrastructure is accompanied by the airlines’ plans to scale their operations. Last year, budget carrier IndiGo placed an order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft. Former national carrier Air