Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the inauguration and laying of foundation stones for 16 airport projects, including new terminals at Delhi, Lucknow, and Pune airports.
Using virtual means, PM Modi inaugurated the Gwalior aerodrome airport terminal. During the event, a statue of Raj Mata Vijayraje Scindia was unveiled at the airport.
Civil Aviation Minister and BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia highlighted that this marked the first instance in the last 75 years where 16 airports were either opened or had their foundation stones laid on the same day.
Other projects in the initiative involve establishing new airports in Uttar Pradesh at Chitrakoot, Shavasti, Azamgarh, and new terminals at Belgaum and Hubli in Karnataka, Jabalpur and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
The BJP government aims to emphasize infrastructure development in its election campaign.
PM Modi also mentioned a planned investment of Rs 1 lakh crore to increase the number of airports from 148 to 200 in the next four years. This investment covers building new airports, expanding existing ones, and improving allied infrastructure like Air Traffic Control.
GMR-owned Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is undergoing expansion to double its capacity from 20 million to 40 million passengers per year.
Adani Group is investing Rs 3,600 crore to construct a new terminal at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow. The new terminal can handle 3,200 domestic and 800 international passengers simultaneously, significantly increasing the annual passenger capacity to 1.30 crore from the existing 43 lakh.
According to aviation consultancy firm CAPA, India now has airport capacity either in place or under development that exceeds projected demand for the next five to seven years. Recent orders for 1,120 aircraft by Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air indicate a positive trend in the aviation sector.
