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In a significant move to boost regional connectivity and enhance air travel accessibility, the Government of India has granted ‘In-Principle’ approval for the establishment of 21 new Greenfield airports across the country. These airports are set to play a pivotal role in transforming the nation’s aviation landscape and fulfilling the aspirations of travelers from various regions, said the Minister of State in Civil Aviation Ministry, Dr V. K. Singh.
Sharing the approved list of Greenfield airports, Singh mentioned that it includes Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan, and Shivamogga in Karnataka, Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry, Dagadarthi, Bhogapuram, and Orvakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala, and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh.
Singh, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha said that of these, 11 Greenfield airports, including Durgapur, Shirdi, Kannur, Pakyong, Kalaburagi, Orvakal (Kurnool), Sindhudurg, Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa, and Shivamogga, have already been successfully operationalised.
Moreover, the state government of Tamil Nadu has also taken a decisive step towards strengthening regional aviation by submitting an application to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for the grant of the first stage clearance, ‘Site-Clearance,’ for developing a Greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu. Following the prescribed procedure under the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008, the proposal has been sent to key stakeholders, including the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Ministry of Defence (MoD), for their inputs.
Once this consultation process concludes, the proposal will be presented before the Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports for their recommendations concerning the award of Site Clearance.
Additionally, as part of the UDAN (regional connectivity) scheme, a total of 148 airports, including nine heliports and two water aerodromes, have been developed and operationalised. Further, the government has made 18 tourist destinations accessible to SAARC (except Afghanistan and Pakistan) and ASEAN countries, fostering greater connectivity and tourism opportunities.
The GFA Policy, 2008, formulated by the Government of India, outlines the procedure and conditions for the development of new Greenfield airports across the country. The process involves a two-stage approval, beginning with ‘Site-Clearance,’ followed by ‘In-Principle’ approval. As per the policy, the responsibility of implementing airport projects, including funding, land acquisition, and resettlement and rehabilitation, lies with the concerned airport developer, including the respective State Government when it is the project proponent. The timeline for airport construction depends on various factors, such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances, removal of obstacles, and financial closure, handled by the respective airport developers.
This momentous announcement comes in the wake of the success of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on October 21, 2016. The UDAN Scheme aims to stimulate regional air connectivity, including in remote areas such as the North Eastern Region (NER), and make air travel affordable and accessible to all, elaborated Singh.
Under the UDAN Scheme, 10 airports in the North Eastern Region, namely, Passighat, Tezu, Itanagar (Hollongi), Jorhat, Lilabari, Rupsi, Tezpur, Shillong (Barapani), Dimapur, and Pakyong, have already been operationalised and revived.
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