66 airports added to aid regional links: Minister

 

New Delhi: Stating  that regional air connectivity is rapidly increasing in the country and the aviation sector is registering an 11 per cent growth vis-à-vis 5.6 per cent of the railways, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday  informed the Lok Sabha  that till 2014, there were 74 airports in the country while  in the last seven years 66 new airports were added taking the total number to 140.  

"Our resolve is to take this number of airports to 220 by 2025," said Scindia replying to the Demands for Grants, 2022-23, for the Ministry of Civil Aviation in the lower house.

Scindia said the Indian civil aviation sector is the third largest in the world and 15 per cent of its pilots are women.

As many as 3.82 lakh passengers undertook air travel daily in the last seven days, giving hopes of revival of the sector scarred by Covid-19, Scindia said as he set a target of nearly tripling the total passenger traffic by 2023-24 to 40 crore.

Scindia further said that at a time when the airline industry world over is facing turbulence, two new airlines, Jet and Akasa, will soon launch their services.

He said the government has brought about a paradigm shift, a structural change in the sector in the last two years and it will focus on inclusion, access and affordability to increase the demand among common man.

The total number of passengers travelled increased from 6.70 crore in 2013-14 to 14.50 crore in 2018-19. The number of planes too increased from 400 from 2013-14 to 710 by 2018-19.

As per DGCA data, 8.38 crore people travelled on domestic flights in 2021, as compared to 6.3 crore in 2020 - the year which saw the outbreak of Covid-19.

Detailing  the decline and loss in the aviation sector during the UPA’s time, the minister said 111 aircrafts were purchased in 2005 and Rs 55 crore debt earned.

Scindia said the aviation sector started to look up post the second Covid wave and the number of air travellers in the country increased to 3.90 lakh per day in November 2021, compared to 4.15 lakh per day in pre-Covid times.

"But, due to Omicron it came down to 1.60 lakh per day. I am happy to report that in last seven days we are again back to 3.82 lakh per day. There is a hope of revival and based on that we expect that by 2023-24 we will take the number of 40 crore," he said.

Scindia said the aviation sector's competitiveness can be compared to AC-1 and AC-2 services of Indian Railways. Last year, 18.5 crore people travelled AC-1 and 2.

He said 14.5 crore people travelled in the aviation sector  which registered 11 per cent growth vis-à-vis  5.6 per cent growth in the railways. (Agencies)