States told to provide infra support for more airports

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Kolkata, Sept. 23

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation plans to have 500 airports across the country and has urged the State Governments for infrastructure support through public-private partnerships.

"There is a need to increase the number of airports in the country. We now have 80 operational airports compared to US where there are more than 5,000 airports. There should be at least 500 airports across India. Several airstrips in different parts of India are lying unused where we can develop smaller airports," Mr Praful Patel, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, told newspersons on the sidelines of a ceremony to upgrade the Behala airstrip and inauguration of the Flying Institute of the Camellia Group.

"A key element of growth in civil aviation is infrastructure and the State Governments should come forward to provide infrastructure support, including land and road connectivity. This can be done jointly with private partners," he added.

According to him, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have already approached the Ministry for development of airports in their States.

Taken from Business Line

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