India will witness a growth of 200 new airports in the next few years!

Indian civil aviation sector is like a towering phoenix, operating seamlessly in a high-demand environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian civil aviation hit a rough patch but now it is ready to take off to its true potential. Interestingly, the government identified certain factors that could boost the aviation sector. One such driver was the focus on Tier II and Tier III cities, indicating that air travel is reaching the masses. Through the UDAN and regional connectivity scheme (RCS), the government is striving to bring remote and secluded places like the North-eastern states and the Himalayas onto the travel radar.

As per the Ministry of Civil Aviation records, about 70 new airports have been developed under the UDAN scheme, with over 2.1 lakh operational flights carrying over 1.1 crore passengers. The Indian airports will witness a robust expansion in the coming years, with government and private sector investment of over INR 9,500 crore in greenfield as well as brownfield airports. E.g., private players like Adani are planning to infuse over INR 10,000 crore in Ahmedabad airport to increase the passenger capacity. The total number of Indian airports is likely to cross the 200-mark in the next 4–5 years. Also, the government plans to make the airport carbon neutral, with over 90 airports expected to be carbon neutral by 2024.