Aviation Minister seeks Rs 4,650 crore to revive 50 airports

TIL Desk/Business/New Delhi-Ministry of Civil Aviation has sought a budgetary provision of Rs 4,650 crore to revive 50 un-served and under-served airports and airstrips as it looks to boost regional air connectivity in the country. The expenses related to 32 Airports Authority of India (AAI) owned aerodromes, where there were no aircraft movements, stood at nearly Rs 15 crore last financial year, according to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha.

Under the new civil aviation policy, the ministry has put in place provision for promoting regional connectivity by way of reviving unserved and under-served airports and airstrips. “In order to implement the scheme, a proposal has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance for making a budgetary provision of Rs 4,650 crore (approximately) to revive a total of 50 such airports/airstrips,” Sinha said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

“The scheme is to be implemented over a period of three years.” As part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), the government plans to provide viability gap funding which would be financed through the Regional Connectivity Fund. The ministry expects to finalise RCS by August after receiving stakeholder comments on the draft.