AAI rolls out plans for 80 new airports

Airport Authority of India has planned to add 80 new airports across the country. As of now, the number of airports in the country has increased from 74 to 141 and they will go up to 220 in the next few years. The ministry has already given 'in-principle' approval for setting up of 21 greenfield airports in the country, including Mopa in Goa; Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra; Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan and Shimoga in Karnataka; Dabra in Madhya Pradesh; Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh; Dholera and Hirasar (Rajkot) in Gujarat; Karaikal in Puducherry; Dagadarthi (Nellore), Bhogapuram and Orvakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh.

Others include Durgapur in West Bengal; Pakyong in Sikkim; Kannur in Kerala; and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh. Up till now, eight greenfield airports -- namely Durgapur, Shirdi, Sindhudurg, Pakyong, Kannur, Kalaburagi, Orvakal and Kushinagar -- have been operationalised.

In the financial year 2022-23, the Centre has granted site clearance to the Himachal Pradesh government for development of a new greenfield airport at Nagchala, Mandi. 35 airports, helipads and water aerodromes are targeted for development during FY 2022-23 under RCS-UDAN.