Over Rs 300 cr invested in airport infra in FY20, surge in domestic fleet

The government on Monday said it has invested over Rs 300 crore in the airport infrastructure till November this fiscal.

In an official statement, the aviation ministry also said while as many as 10 airports commenced operations in 2019, 335 routes have been awarded, covering 33 aerodromes during the year.

"Rs 304.49 crore has been spent on upgradation of existing and new airports from April to November this year.

"Also, 10 airports became operational till December 7 in 2019, of which four are underserved (Lilabari, Belgaum, Pantnagar and Durgapur) and the remaining ones unserved (Kullu, Kalaburgi, Kannar, Dimapur, Hindon and Pithoragarh)," the release said.

According to the ministry, approximately 3.4 million passengers flew under the government's regional connectivity scheme, Udan, till date, with 134 routes commencing operations between January and October.

As many as 335 routes were awarded during the year, covering 33 airports, comprising 20 unserved, three under-served and 10 water aerodromes, the release added.

"It (Udan scheme) has a direct bearing on major airports since the smaller airports have been connected to various big cities. The travelling time has reduced drastically and public at large is benefited for the purpose of tourism, medical emergencies and religious shrines, among others," the government claimed.

Airports such as Belgaum, Prayagraj, Kishangarh, Hubli and Jharsuguda, launched under the Udan Scheme, were the busiest in terms of traffic during the year, the release stated.

The government said the fleet size of the domestic carriers surged to 624 from 529 when Jet Airways ceased operations in mid-April.

The total number of operational aircraft of major scheduled airlines stands at 624, which is more than the aircraft operational at the time of Jet Airways in business, as per the release.