Parliament Question: Strengthening of Civil Aviation Infrastructure

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. : 72 th (To be answered on the 4 December 2025) STRENGTHENING OF CIVIL AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE *72. SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI SMT D K ARUNA

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:-

(a) the key initiatives undertaken by the Government to strengthen Centre State- Industry collaboration for accelerating civil aviation growth, particularly in the areas of airport infrastructure, regional connectivity, skill development and ecosystem expansion in the eastern region, particularly in Odisha, Jharkhand and also areas having tourist places in Rajasthan, since August, 2025;

(b) the details and number of airports, new routes under the Ude Desh kaAam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul

(MRO) facilities that have become operational in the eastern region, Jharkhand and areas having tourist places in Rajasthan during the said period;

(c) the likely short and medium term impact and contribution of the seinitiatives on economic growth, connectivity and employment generation; (d) the specific timeframe, targets and milestones set by the Government for expanding aviation access to tier-two and tier-three cities in the said areas/places; and

(e) the status of proposals relating to establishing smaller airfields including Gudari airstrip under the Kandhamal Lok Sabha Constituency and Manpur airstrip, Abu Road in Rajasthan? ANSWER Minister of CIVIL AVIATION ( Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 72 FOR REPLY ON 04.12.2025 REGARDING STRENGTHENING OF CIVIL AVIATION INFRASTRUCTURE ASKED BY SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI AND SMT. D K ARUNA.

(a) to (e): The modernization and development of airport infrastructure is a continuous process undertaken based on passenger demand forecasts, operational and safety requirements, and airline needs.

To strengthen regional aviation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been organizing Regional Civil Aviation Ministers' Conferences for structured engagement with States and industry stakeholders on airport development, UDAN connectivity, skill development, and ecosystem growth. The Eastern Region Conference held on 25th August 2025 at Bhubaneswar provided a platform for Odisha, Jharkhand and other Eastern States to discuss opportunities for aviation expansion. Similar engagements also support tourism-rich regions such as Rajasthan through focused coordination and faster decision-making.

Under UDAN, Purnea Airport in Bihar was developed and inaugurated on 15th September 2025, and is now connected to Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

In 2025, AAI allotted land for MRO facilities to the State Government at Bhubaneswar Airport and to Ever deliver Logistics Pvt. Ltd. at Kolkata Airport.

DGCA also approved one Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Dumka, Jharkhand in August 2025.

On 19.08.2025, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the development of a Greenfield Airport at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan at an estimated cost of Rs. 1507 crore.

UDAN has strengthened the Eastern Region by improving connectivity and accessibility, boosting tourism and industry, enhancing access to healthcare, and generating direct and indirect employment. The Government has further announced the Modified UDAN Scheme to expand regional connectivity to 120 new destinations nationwide, including the Eastern Region, targeting 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years.

Gudari (Phulbani) Airstrip in Odisha and Manpur (Abu Road) Airstrip in Rajasthan are listed as unserved airports under UDAN. However, no airline has submitted bids to operate RCS flights from these airstrips in the previous rounds of bidding.

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