Question : UPGRADATION OF AIRPORTS

(a) whether by 2020, Government proposes to have 500 operational airports in the country with private investment in aviation infrastructure;

(b) if so, the detailed plan chalked out in this regard;

(c) whether the Government has received any requests/proposals from the State Governments for upgradation of airports in their States as international airports or for setting up of international airports and if so, the details thereof, location-wise;

(d) whether the Government has recently granted international airport status to some airports in the country;

(e) if so, the details thereof, location-wise along with the amount released therefor;

(f) whether necessary infrastructure, immigration facilities, manpower, etc. are available at those airports; and (g) if so, the details thereof and if not, the time by which these facilities are likely to be made available?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION (SHRI K. C. VENUGOPAL)

(a) & (b); No Madam. Presently, no such proposal is under consideration of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. However, the development of airports is a continuous process which takes into account the commercial viability, traffic potential/demands,commitment of airlines to operate through the specific airports etc.

(c) : Yes, Madam. This Ministry has received several requests from the State Governments for upgradation of airports in their States as International Airports. A list of such requests is at Annexure.

(d), (e), (f) & (g): Yes, Madam. Recently, five airports namely, Lucknow, Varanasi, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli and Mangalore, have been declared international airports. Necessary facilities/infrastructure are available for declaring them as international airport. These facilities are namely, runway length to cater to medium capacity long range aircraft or equivalent type of aircraft, availability of ground lighting facilities, instrument landing system for operation of aircrafts at night, requirement/demand from scheduled national/international airline operators, availability of customs, immigration, health, animal and plant quarantine services and bilateral agreement between the states (Nation) under which it may be offered as point of call for international operations.