Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Thursday told Parliament that the Airports Authority of India (AAI), along with its public-private-partnership (PPP) ventures, has incurred a cumulative capex (capital expenditure) of over Rs 96,000 crore during FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25 to strengthen the country’s aviation sector.

There are currently 162 airports operational in the country, including heliports and water aerodromes. During the year 2024-25, Indian airports recorded a total passenger traffic of 412 million, including 77 million international and 335 million domestic passengers, showing a growth of 9 per cent year-on-year. Scheduled Indian operators operated on 835 domestic and 251 international routes during the period, the minister said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Naidu also said that in 2016, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN), with the objective of enhancing regional air connectivity, making air travel more affordable for the general public and promoting regional development.

Since the scheme’s inception, 637 RCS routes have become operational, connecting 92 unserved and under-served airports, including 15 heliports and two water aerodromes.

The Minister said that the scheme ensures affordability as the airfare for seats for which Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is provided is capped at affordable rates determined by the Government.

The Government has also formulated the Greenfield Airport (GFA) Policy, 2008 for development of new Greenfield airports in the country.

He said that as per the policy, if any airport developer including the state government wants to develop an airport, it will have to identify a suitable site and get a pre-feasibility study done for construction of the airport and submit a proposal to the Central government.

He also clarified that the Centre has not received approval from the concerned State Government or any airport developer for construction of a Greenfield airport at Palghar in Maharashtra or Pachmarhi or Matkuli in Madhya Pradesh under the Greenfield Airport Policy, 2008.

With the inputs of IANS