Immense scope for new airpots in Northeast: Jayant Sinha

There are immense possibilities for building new airports in the northeastern states, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said on Friday.

In an interview to Zee News, the minister said there were immense possibilities of new airports in the Northeast and that a new multimodal airport would come up in Guwahati, Assam, soon.

He also said that a new airport would be built in his constituency Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, according to a statement issued here by Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

The first-time Member of Parliament also said that the opposition should not think of coming to power before 2034.

On the financial condition of Air India, he said a transformation plan for Air India was ready and while the company was earning operational benefits, the loan burden was a matter of worry.

Answering a question on fare hikes, Sinha said rise in fuel price and security expenses were the major reasons behind such hikes, the statement said.

To a question on traffic congestion at Delhi and Mumbai airports, the minister replied that the pressure was on the whole network in Mumbai due to its only runway.

Considering the rising pressure on Delhi airport, he recognised the necessity of a new airport in western Uttar Pradesh and said it would not only decrease congestion in Delhi but also benefit the industries of this region.

Speaking on the Ravindra Gaikwad-Air India episode, where the MP was grounded after hitting an Air India employee with a slipper, Sinha said the government was working on the formulation of a "No Fly" List, also considering the safety aspect.

On the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Model of development, he said many developing countries were learning from India, the statement added.

Giving Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah all credit for recent victories in state elections, especially in Uttar Pradesh, he also said that the opposition should think of contesting them only in 2034.

--IANS

ao/nir