Centre grants in-principle approval for 21 Greenfield Airports across India

The responsibility to implement these projects, including funding, lies with the airport developers

The government of India granted 'in-principle' approval for the establishment of 21 new Greenfield Airports on Monday. These airports will be set up in different regions of the country to enhance connectivity and boost air travel accessibility.

The approved locations for the new airports are as follows:

1. Mopa in Goa
2. Navi Mumbai, Shirdi, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra
3. Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan, and Shivamogga in Karnataka
4. Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh
5. Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh
6. Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat
7. Karaikal in Puducherry
8. Dagadarthi, Bhogapuram, and Orvakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh
9. Durgapur in West Bengal
10. Pakyong in Sikkim
11. Kannur in Kerala
12. Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh

Among these, 11 Greenfield airports have already been made operational. These include Durgapur, Shirdi, Kannur, Pakyong, Kalaburagi, Orvakal (Kurnool), Sindhudurg, Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa, and Shivamogga.

The state government of Tamil Nadu has applied for the first stage clearance, known as 'site-clearance,' to develop a Greenfield airport at Parandur in Kancheepuram District. According to the Greenfield Airport Policy of 2008, the proposal is being reviewed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Ministry of Defence (MoD) for their feedback. The final recommendation for the award of site clearance will be made by the Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports, after consulting all stakeholders.

The implementation of these airport projects, including funding, land acquisition, and rehabilitation & resettlement efforts, lies with the respective airport developers, which may also include the state government if they are the project proponents.

The construction timelines for these airports depend on several factors, such as land acquisition, obtaining necessary clearances, overcoming obstacles, achieving financial closure, and other related aspects, all of which are handled by the respective airport developers.

The Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Gen (Dr) V K Singh (Retd), provided this information in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. This move is expected to contribute significantly to the growth of air travel in the country and promote regional development and connectivity.