(a) the number of airports in the country and the number out of them which are operational;
(b) whether the Union Government has received requests from various State Governments to connect more cities in their respective States with air-links;
(c) if so, the number of such requests received from the State Governments during the last three years State-wise; and
(d) the action taken by the Government on each of such requests?
- MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION ( SHRI PRAFUL PATEL )
(a), (b), (c) & (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement in reply to parts (a), (b), (c) & (d) of Lok Sabha () Starred Question No.48 for 01.3.2007 regarding Air linking of Cities.
(a)There are about 455 airports / airstrips in the country belonging to Airports Authority of India (AAI), State Government, Defence (including those with AAI Civil Enclaves) and private licensed aerodromes. AAI operates and maintains 127 airports including Civil Enclaves at Defence airfields for commercial airlines operations.
(b) Yes, Sir.
(c)Number of the requests received from the State Governments are as follows: Andhra Pradesh (2), Bihar (1), Chhatisgarh (1), Gujarat (2), Himachal Pradesh (1), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Kerala (1), Karnataka (1), Madhya Pradesh (3), Maharashtra (2), Mizoram (2), Nagaland (3), Orissa (1), Pondicherry (1), Tamil Nadu (3), Tripura (2), Uttar Pradesh (2), Uttaranchal (1), West Bengal (3) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (2).
(d)Government has laid down Route Dispersal Guidelines with a view to achieve better regulation of Air Transport Services (ATS) taking into account the needs of different regions of the country, including the North-East. It is, however, upto the airlines to provide air services to specific places depending upon commercial viability. As such, the airlines are free to operate anywhere in the country subject to compliance of route dispersal guidelines issued by Government.