New Delhi, Aug 7 (NationPress) The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and public-private partnerships have collectively spent over Rs 96,000 crore on capital expenditure (capex) from FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25 for the development, enhancement, and modernization of airports across the nation, as reported to Parliament on Thursday.

This investment comprises the AAI's contribution of over Rs 25,000 crore, with the remainder funded by private airport developers.

The AAI primarily sources its capital expenditure from its own funds, supplemented by a budgetary grant of Rs 4,500 crore designated for the revival and enhancement of unserved and underserved airports, as well as heliports and water aerodromes under Phase I of the Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN). Furthermore, Rs 1,000 crore has been earmarked in Phase-II of the RCS-UDAN to revitalize additional airports, heliports, water aerodromes, and advanced landing grounds during the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol stated in a written response to a Lok Sabha inquiry.

Private airport operators also fund their capex from their own financial resources, the minister added.

The investments have been allocated towards new airports, expansion and modification of existing terminals, enhancement of passenger amenities, construction of new terminals, and the expansion and fortification of existing runways, aprons, and Air Navigation Services (ANS) such as control towers and technical facilities.

According to reconciled figures for the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) covering the period from FY 2019-20 to 2024-25, the capex expenditures by AAI and private airport developers over the last five years amount to Rs 11,742 crore (FY 2020-21), Rs 13,294 crore (FY 2021-22), Rs 17,879 crore (FY 2022-23), Rs 19,260 crore (FY 2023-24), and Rs 19,317 crore (FY 2024-25).

The minister further indicated that the upgradation and modernization of airports is a continuous endeavor, executed by both the AAI and private airport operators based on factors such as land availability, commercial viability, socio-economic aspects, traffic demand, and airlines' interest in operating at these airports.

Since FY 2019-20, various airport projects have been initiated by the AAI and private developers at numerous locations nationwide, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Mopa, Navi Mumbai, Noida (Jewar), Bhogapuram, Ayodhya, Kushinagar, Sindhudurg, Hollongi, Dholera, Dehradun, Agartala, Patna, Vijayawada, Deoghar, Amritsar, Chennai, and Tirupati.

Moreover, airport modernization and expansion projects are also underway in Mangalore, Kolkata, Port Blair, Surat, Tiruchirapally, Kolhapur, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Rajkot, Leh, Hubballi, Imphal, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Rajahmundry, Belagavi, Shivamogga, Vijayapura, Hassan, Prayagraj, Tuticorin, Rewa, Satna, and Datia, the minister concluded.