Modi govt's plan to get more Indians flying may take more time to take off

The slow pace of fitting out regional airports risks delaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious plan to launch more flights connecting smaller towns and cities and get millions more people using air travel.

The programme, flagged off by Modi last year, aims to boost economic growth by refurbishing idled colonial-era airstrips or building newer airports, and incentivising airlines to offer discounted fares to connect them with bigger cities.

But work on building new airports in small towns and upgrading existing facilities has failed to keep pace, two government officials said, and could knock off course the government's lofty goal of