Question : Operational Airports

(a) the number of operational and nonoperational airports in the country and the details of new airports likely to be made operational in the current year;

(b) the details of the funds earmarked and utilized during each of the last three years in the construction and operationalisation of new airports, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has suffered losses on account of maintenance of non-operational airports during each of the last three years and the current year;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(e) whether the Government proposes to form new guidelines/policy to make operational such non-operational airports, if so, the details thereof;

(f) the income being earned presently from the total air tickets sold annually across the country and the target fixed by the Government for increase in the total sale in the future; and

(g) the rules framed by the Government to check the rise in the price of air tickets during natural calamities?

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(Shri Jayant Sinha)

(a) : Out of around 475 airports/airstrips in the country, 125 are owned and managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI). Of these AAI airports, 94 are operational and 31 are non-operational. The development work of Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh and Kishangarh airport in Rajasthan have progressed for operationalisation during the current financial year.

(b): The details of funds earmarked and utilized during each of the last three years in the construction and operationalization of new airports are at Annexure-I.

(c) & (d): The details of expenditure incurred on maintenance of non-operational airports are at Annexure-II. The losses are due to low revenue generation which was not adequate to meet the total expenditure pertaining to the respective airports.

(e) : The new Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, provides for revival of un-served and under-served airports on the basis of demand depending on firm commitment from the airline operators and the State Governments who agree to provide various concessions envisaged in the Policy.

(f) : Air tickets are sold by the airline operators directly and the quantum of tickets sold is based on the air travel requirement of the passengers. However, the National Civil Aviation Policy envisages to make flying affordable for the masses and to enable 30 crore domestic ticketing by 2022 and 50 crore by 2027, and the international ticketing to increase to 20 crore by 2027.

(g) : Air fares are not regulated by the Government. In order to check rise in price of air ticket beyond fare bucket established by the airlines, tariff monitoring unit of DGCA monitors the fare offered by the airlines on select route on random basis.