Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia addressed the media in the national capital on Wednesday, talking about the development of the aviation sector during the ruling government’s 9 years of governance.
The union minister said that during the nine years of the Modi government, a total of 11 greenfield airports have been operationalised, in addition to 17 new airports in the North East alone. Adding to that, he said, “There were some states in the region where there were no airports, but today, Arunachal Pradesh has three new airports, Sikkim also has an airport now.”
He said in the next seven years, there will be an increase of 300 per cent in air travellers. Besides, four new brownfield airports and three new greenfield airports will be built.
He said there is healthy air traffic from Tier 2 cities in the country.
He also mentions the Udaan Yojana, which is the central government’s scheme for the development of regional airports and has all types of aircraft under its belt. Along with that, the government has set up 58 airports for Krashi Udaan Yojana, which is the central government’s scheme to help farmers move agricultural products via international and domestic air routes.
Scindia also said, “Whatever the governments have done in the past 68 years, the Modi government has done it in the 9 years. The number has increased from 74 to 148. We aim to make it 200–220 in the next five years, including heliports and water aerodromes”.
During the Russia-Ukraine war, the aviation ministry conducted 90 sorties to bring Indian students back from the war-torn country free of charge.
The ministry is also saving around 1,000 crore each year as the Prime Minister has provided 9 per cent of the airstrips reserved for the Indian Air Force to prevent hold flying. They have also planned to build a Civil Aviation Hub in Delhi.
Scindia also added that the ministry’s role is not that of regulators but of facilitators. On the Go First insolvency situation, Scindia hoped that Go First would fly again, and the DGCA has been working on the proposal sent by them.
Scindia’s news conference marking the completion of the Modi government’s nine-year tenure was held as part of ‘Mega Jan-Sampark Abhiyan,’ in which Bharatiya Janata Party ministers would visit the capitals of each state and provide a report card on the work done over the last nine years.
