Question : New Airports in Rajasthan

(a) whether the Government proposes to construct new airports in Rajasthan;

(b) if so, the details of such locations where these airports are proposed to be constructed along with the year by which these airports are targeted to be made operational;

(c) the main reasons for the proposed sale and disinvestment of Air India; and

(d) the number of aeroplanes purchased by Air India during the last ten years along with the number of aeroplanes out of these in service and the number of new aeroplanes leased out or sold and the reasons therefor?

The Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)

(a) and (b):Government of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation has granted ''site clearance'' approval to Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (DMICDC) for setting up of a Greenfield Airport for public use near Bhiwadi, District Alwar, Rajasthan on 18.11.2015. However, any new Greenfield Airport requires two stage clearances i.e. ''Site Clearance'' and ''in-principle'' approval. In case of proposed airport at Bhiwadi, the site clearance has been granted and further development depends on preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR), its economic viability and financial closure subject to the in-principle approval.
;

(c): NITI Aayog in its recommendations, on Strategic Disinvestment of the Central Public Sector Enterprises in May 12, 2017 had given the rationale for the disinvestment of Air India and has referred to the fragile finances of the company, among various other reasons. Further, NITI Aayog in its report on Air India has stated that further financial support in a mature and competitive aviation market would not be the best use of scarce financial resources of the Government.;
;

(d): Air India had purchased 68 Boeing aircraft during 2006 which were subsequently inducted from 2007 to 2018. Out of these aircraft, 60 aircraft are in service while 5 B777-200LR aircraft were sold to M/s Etihad on account of being uneconomical in terms of AI route profitability. Further, two aircraft are undergoing Special Extra Section Flight (SESF) modification while one aircraft was lost. ;

Further, erstwhile Indian Airlines (now merged with Air India) had purchased 43 Airbus aircraft during 2006 which were also inducted from 2006 to 2010 and which are now operating as a part of the fleet of AI.