India will have 220 airports in next 2-3 years, says Scindia

Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, announced on Wednesday that India is set to have 200-220 airports, heliports, and water aerodromes in the next two to three years. Speaking at a Press conference in Delhi, the minister highlighted that until 2014, only 74 airports were operational in the country. However, by March 2023, another 74 airports, helicopters, and water aerodromes have been successfully established. Scindia outlined the objective of reaching a total of 220 airports by 2024-25, including the recent declaration of Tirupati, Vijayawada, Kushinagar, and Mopa Airports as international airports, bringing the total number of international airports in India to 30. The minister further emphasised ongoing efforts to enhance capacity at metro airports, with plans to increase overall capacity from the current 221 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to over 456 MPPA in the next decade.