Question : UPGRADATION AND MODERNISATION OF AIRPORTS

(a) whether modernization of major airstrips and airports in the country is being carried out as a consequence of the heavy rise in doemstic and international air traffic;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has shelved the scheme of expansion and modernization of certain airports including Patna airport experiencing heavy rise in air traffic;

(d) if so, the reasons therefor;

(e) whether the inadequate length of runway at Patna airport makes landing and take off difficult for aircraft; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF THE STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION (SHRI PRAFUL PATEL)

(a) & (b) Yes, Sir. Airports Authority of India has identified 48 non metro airports for development. The detail of 35 non metro airports are Port Blair (Andaman & Nicober UT), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam), Patna (Bihar), Chandigarh (UT), Raipur (Chhatisgarh), Goa (Goa), Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Vadodra (Gujarat), Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Mangalore (Karnataka), Trivandrum (Kerala), Agatti (Lakshadweep UT), Bhopal,Indore and Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Aurangabad, Nagpur and Pune (Maharashtra), Imphal (Manipur), Dimapur (Nagaland), Bhubaneshwar (Orissa), Amritsar (Punjab), Jaipur and Udaipur (Rajasthan), Madurai, Trichi and Coimbatore (Tamilnadu), Agrtala (Tripura), Agra, Lucknow and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Dehradun (Uttranchal). The detail of 13 other non-metro airports are Rajamundery & Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh), Dibrugarh (Assam), Surat (Gujarat), Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir), Hubli, Belguam & Mysore (Karnataka), Calicut (Kerala), Akola, Gondia (Maharashtra)and Coochbenar (West Bengal).

(c) & (d) The modernisation & expansion of airports is a continuous process commensurate with traffic growth and no such expansion programme was shelved by AAI at these airports including Patna Airport.

(e) & (f) The runway 07/25 at Patna Airport is of adequate length of 2286m suitable for AB-321/ B-737 type of aircraft operations. However, due to obsructions in the approach funnel and in thevicinity, the operational length has to be reduced for take-off & landing for safety of aircraft operations resulting in load restrictions.