India’s aviation infrastructure has witnessed a capital expenditure (capex) of over ₹96,000 crore between FY 2019-20 and FY 2024-25, including investments by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and its public-private partnership (PPP) ventures, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu informed Parliament.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the minister shared detailed figures outlining the growth and development trajectory of India’s civil aviation sector. As of now, India has 162 operational airports that includes traditional airports, heliports, and water aerodromes.

During FY 2024-25, Indian airports handled a total passenger traffic of 412 million, comprising 335 million domestic and 77 million international passengers, a 9% year-on-year increase. Scheduled Indian carriers operated across 835 domestic and 251 international routes during this period, reflecting the sector’s expanding operational footprint.

Highlighting the efforts to democratize air travel, Naidu pointed to the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) launched in 2016. The scheme aims to make flying more affordable and accessible for citizens while boosting regional economic development. Since its inception, 637 UDAN routes have been operationalised, linking 92 previously unserved or underserved airports, including 15 heliports and two water aerodromes.

“To ensure affordability, airfares on seats subsidized through Viability Gap Funding (VGF) are capped at government-determined rates,” the minister explained.

The government has maintained that modernisation and expansion of airport infrastructure remains a continuous and demand-driven process. Such efforts are undertaken by AAI or relevant airport operators, depending on factors such as traffic trends, operational viability, aircraft safety requirements, land availability, and airline demand.

On the development of new airports, Naidu referred to the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008. Under this framework, any airport developer including state governments must identify a viable location, conduct a pre-feasibility study, and submit a proposal to the central government for consideration.

He clarified that no proposals have been received under the Greenfield Airports Policy for building new airports at Palghar (Maharashtra), Pachmarhi, or Matkuli (Madhya Pradesh) from either the respective state governments or private developers.