India permits 21 greenfield airports in smaller cities

Thursday, March 16, 2023

With India thinking to ramp up connectivity with the rest of the country, the Indian government has permitted 21 greenfield airports in minor cities. A total of 11 greenfield airports are functioning till now. The latest among them is the Shivamogga airport in Karnataka.

Since 2018, eight airports, i.e. Pakyong (Sikkim), Kannur (Kerala), Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh), Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Mopa (Goa) and Orvakal (Andhra Pradesh) have been operational besides Shivamogga.

The government of India has framed the greenfield program for building greenfield airport, for which the state government or operator of airport needs to classify the site and get the viability study done for building of the airport.

Greenfield projects are started on undeveloped ground and do not comprise the revamp or flattening of a standing building. There are no restraints from any earlier work on the ground.

The government has also permitted site authorization for creating three greenfield airports: Alwar in Rajasthan, Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh. The accountability of execution of airport developments comprising subsidy of the assignments lies with the respective airport contractor as well as the particular state government if it is the project advocate.

India’s passenger traffic is expected to double by 2030. Hence, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) believes India to become the third-largest air passenger market in the world by 2030. During the post pandemic retrieval, the Indian civil aviation industry has come up as one of the fastest-growing sectors.

« Back to Page