Question : Development of New Airports

(a) whether the Government is planning to develop 100 new airports within the country and if so, the details thereof,
State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;

(b) the details of the names of proposed airports and the funds likely to be sanctioned for this, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;

(c) whether any time has been fixed by the Government for completion of these airports and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government is also planning to start some new routes connecting smaller towns and villages through these airports within the country including North Chennai and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government proposes to expand Trichy airport in Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether the Government has also targeted to prepare drone corridors at these airports and if so, the details thereof?

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

(a) to (f): Government has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21.10.2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity by making it affordable. RCS - UDAN is a market driven mechanism. Under the scheme, airlines assess demand and nature of supply required on particular route and based on their analysis participate in the bidding process to be conducted from time to time. Under RCS - UDAN, 688 RCS routes have been awarded by the Implementing Agency involving 137 unserved, underserved airports, heliports and water aerodromes. Airports of Tamil Nadu at Tanjore, Vellore, Neyveli and Ramnad have been awarded under the scheme for operations of RCS flights.;
;
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal on 06 March, 2017 for revival of existing unserved / underserved airports / airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India and Civil Enclaves at an estimated cost of Rs. 4500 Crore. Any airport which is included in the awarded routes of UDAN, is developed under "Revival of unserved and underserved airports" scheme.;
;
Details of the routes awarded under RCS-UDAN in Tamil Nadu is attached as Annexure. ;
;
The Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) are obligated to commence RCS flight operations on a RCS-route, as part of individual route-proposal or a network proposal within a period of 180 days from the issuance of Letter of Award or within two months from the readiness of airport, whichever is later, unless any extension is granted by the Implementing Agency.

AAI has taken up the Up-gradation work of Trichy International Airport. The details are as under:;

i) Construction of a new centrally air-conditioned Modular Integrated Terminal Building to process 2900 combined peak hour passenger (including 2300 international & 600 domestic passengers).;

ii) Apron for 10 bays, Isolation Bay, Associated Link Taxiways and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) Area.

iii) New Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower cum Technical Block.
;
The Government had constituted a Drone Task Force in April 2018 for formulating a road-map with implementable recommendations for Central Government, State Government, Industry and Research Institutions to leverage the drone technology. In its report, submitted in March 2019, the Task Force made recommendations about Drone Corridor and Droneports. The entire gamut of regulations on drones is implemented through a Digital Sky platform.