Parliament Question: Expansion of Airport Infrastructure

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 716 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23rd July 2026 ) EXPANSION OF AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE 716. DR. PRABHA MALLIKARJUN Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government has assessed the adequacy of airport infrastructure to meet the growing passenger and cargo traffic demand across the country and if so, the details thereof; (b) the details of airports operating beyond their designed capacity and the measures proposed to address congestion and operational bottlenecks; (c) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of infrastructure gaps relating to terminals, runways, cargo handling and air traffic management systems and if so, the details thereof; (d) the investments proposed for modernisation and expansion of airport infrastructure in the next five years; and (e) whether any airport expansion, modernisation or greenfield airport projects are under consideration in Karnataka that would improve connectivity to districts such as Davanagere and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (d): Airport infrastructure, including passenger terminals, runways, aprons, cargo facilities and other airside infrastructure, is developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other airport operators based on traffic growth, operational requirements, airline demand, financial viability and techno-economic considerations. Expansion and modernisation projects undertaken at airports across the country have enhanced the total passenger-handling capacity to over 580 million passengers per annum (MPPA), while passenger traffic handled during 2025-26 was about 420 million.Passenger traffic varies across airports depending on factors such as seasonal demand, festivals, holidays and airline schedules, which may lead to temporary congestion during peak periods. Airport operators continuously monitor traffic and take necessary operational measures to ensure smooth passenger facilitation. In line with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, airport development is being undertaken through Greenfield airports, revival of unserved and underserved airports under RCS-UDAN, expansion of existing airports, and promotion of private investment under the PPP mode. So far, 25 Greenfield airports have been accorded In-Principle Approval, of which 14 are operational, while 6 proposals have been granted Site Clearance. Further, 95 aerodromes have been operationalised under RCS-UDAN (as on 10.07.2026). The modified UDAN Scheme envisages connectivity to 120 new destinations and serving 4 crore passengers over the next ten years. (e): Under the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008, a developer, including a State Government, is required to identify a suitable site, undertake a pre-feasibility study and submit a proposal to the Central Government for grant of Site Clearance followed by In-Principle Approval. No proposal for development of a Greenfield airport at Davanagere has been received from the Government of Karnataka. ******