Non-operational airports spend more than they earn: Raju

Thirty non-operational airports have earned only Rs 69 lakh in 2014-15 but the expenditure on them totalled over Rs 11 crore, with the government informing Rajya Sabha that it was trying to motivate airlines to fly from these places.
The 30 non-operational airports have earned a total revenue of Rs 0.69 crore during 2014-15 and made a revenue expenditure of Rs 11.13 crore during the year, as against revenue of Rs 0.40 crore in 2013-14 and revenue expenditure of Rs 12.97 crore, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said in reply to questions.
In the case of 25 AAI-operated airports which do not have scheduled flights but charters fly out from there, the revenue earned stood at Rs 100.33 crore as against revenue expenditure of Rs 298.60 crore in 2014-15.

In 2013-14, these airports earned a revenue of Rs 162.92 crore against an expenditure of Rs 297.64 crore as against Rs 61.89 crore earned and expenditure of Rs 234.63 crore incurred in 2012-13.
He said government was trying to motivate airlines to operate to 30 non-operational airports in the country and the 25 AAI-operated airports where scheduled flights do not operate.
Of the total 475 airports/airstrips in the country, 125 are owned and managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the draft civil aviation policy 2015 envisages revival of unserved and under-served airstrips by AAI, state governments or through PPP mode depending on feasibility, in reply to questions.

"Draft civil aviation policy is also putting stress on that and the union budget also talks on how we are trying to make our skies more vibrant.

"There are large number of airstrips in the country managed by different agencies. However, wherever it is commercially viable, government is trying to make those places operative,"he said replying to supplementaries in Rajya Sabha.
Raju said "Generally there are non operational airports in the country and our government is trying to see that these become operationalise as soon as possible."
To a question on making Bathinda airport operational, the Minister said "these are airports on which operations can take place. Like Bathinda, we are trying to motivate airlines to make use of them. If they see an opportunity they will make use of it."

On making the Cooch Behar airport, he said, "We can try to motivate the airlines in starting flights from Cooch Behar. .... As many airports operational as we can, we are trying. Wherever see economic activity happening, the airports are operationalised faster. We will take care of suggestions.