The Central Government has set aside a whooping Rs 27,500 Crore for the upgradation of airports till FY26, a report stated. The fund will be used in a myriad of activities including construction of Greenfield airports, addition of new passenger terminals, improving runways, building of aprons and taxi tracks and constructing new ATC towers etc. A report by SURFACES REPORTER.
The fund will provide a boost to the ongoing airport infrastructure projects most of which are scheduled for completion by next year. According to the reports, barring two, more than 70 projects of ?18,000 crore are scheduled to be completed before the middle of 2024.
The projects also coincide with UDAN 5.O which is currently in its fifth phase and aiming to boost air connectivity to the non-metro airports through modified regulations.
Where will the fund go?
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) report, the sum will be utilized in the construction of a Greenfield airport at Hirasar (Rajkot), extension of terminal building at Surat, extension of integrated terminal building at Goa, expansion of civil enclave at Gwalior airport, construction of ATC tower at Kolkata, etc.
The report also stated that the modernisation of the Chennai airport (part 2 of phase 2) will be completed by July 2025 while development of a Greenfield airport at Dholera, Ahmedabad is underway and is estimated to be completed by December 2025.
New Airports
In addition to the following, an investment of Rs 6405 Cr will be used for 16 more projects which are in the planning phase and the estimated competition date for these stretches to 2026. These include construction of new integrated terminal buildings at Srinagar and Udaipur, a new domestic terminal