CM Mohan Yadav Reviews MP Airport Expansion with Aviation Minister
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav reviewed airport expansion plans with Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, covering 9 airstrip conversions under UDAN, new airports in Ujjain and Shivpuri, and the PMShri Air Ambulance Service that has served over 170 critical patients.
Key Takeaways
8 airports are already operational across Madhya Pradesh.
A proposal is ready to convert 9 airstrips — Sagar, Neemuch, Chhindwara, Mandla, Khandwa, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Umaria, and Shahdol — into airports under the UDAN scheme .
New airports are under construction in Ujjain and Shivpuri ; Shivpuri's will be a greenfield facility.
Singrauli has been confirmed as the next airport site.
The PMShri Air Ambulance Service has served over 170 critical patients with a claimed 99% survival rate .
The air ambulance service is free for Ayushman Bharat cardholders .
Eight airports already operational. Nine more airstrips queued for conversion. Two new airports rising from the ground. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Sunday, 9 August 2026 to review the state's sweeping aviation build-out — and the numbers signal a landlocked state racing to rewrite its connectivity story.
CM Yadav posted on X: 'आज माननीय केंद्रीय नागरिक उड्डयन मंत्री श्री Ram Mohan Naidu जी के साथ मप्र में एयरपोर्ट निर्माण एवं हवाई सेवाओं के विकास-विस्तार की समीक्षा की।' ('Today I reviewed airport construction and the development and expansion of air services in MP with the Union Civil Aviation Minister.')
Nine Airstrips, One Proposal, and the UDAN Pipeline
The centrepiece of the meeting was a proposal to convert nine existing airstrips — Sagar, Neemuch, Chhindwara, Mandla, Khandwa, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Umaria, and Shahdol — into full airports under the central government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme. Launched in 2016, UDAN was designed precisely for this: take dormant or underused regional airstrips and stitch them into a national air network that ordinary citizens can actually afford and access. Madhya Pradesh, with its vast interior geography and historically thin air connectivity, is a natural candidate for the scheme's ambitions. The proposal is described as ready. Whether the Ministry clears and funds each conversion — and on what timeline — is the next critical step.Ujjain, Shivpuri, and Singrauli Join the Construction Map
Beyond the UDAN pipeline, two airports are already under active construction. Ujjain, the temple city and one of Madhya Pradesh's most visited destinations, is getting a new airport. Shivpuri goes further: its facility will be a greenfield airport, built from scratch rather than upgraded from existing infrastructure — a more capital-intensive and logistically complex undertaking. CM Yadav also confirmed that Singrauli, an energy-sector hub in the state's eastern belt, will get an airport 'soon.'PMShri Air Ambulance: 99% Survival Rate, Free for Ayushman Cardholders
The review was not purely about runways and terminals. CM Yadav highlighted the human dividend already being paid by the state's PMShri Air Ambulance Service: more than 170 critically ill patients have been airlifted to date, with a claimed survival rate of 99 percent across those cases. For holders of an Ayushman Bharat card — the central government's flagship health protection scheme covering low-income families since 2018 — the service is entirely free of charge. The air ambulance figures place aviation infrastructure squarely inside a welfare argument: a runway is not just an economic asset, it is a lifeline. That framing matters politically in a state where many districts remain hours from tertiary care. Madhya Pradesh now has 8 operational airports, a pipeline of 9 conversions, 2 airports under construction, and a greenfield project in Shivpuri. The next test is execution — converting proposals into terminals and promises into flight paths.Point of View
Converting legacy airstrips into political and economic assets simultaneously. The greenfield Shivpuri airport signals ambition beyond incremental upgrades, though greenfield projects carry significantly higher execution risk and cost. The real test for CM Yadav's aviation agenda will be how many of the nine proposed UDAN conversions actually receive central funding clearance and move to construction in the near term.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many airports does Madhya Pradesh have in 2026?
Madhya Pradesh has 8 operational airports as of August 2026, with 2 more under construction in Ujjain and Shivpuri, and 9 airstrips proposed for conversion under the UDAN scheme.
What is the UDAN scheme and how does it apply to MP?
The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, launched in 2016 , upgrades regional airstrips into functional airports to improve affordable air connectivity. Madhya Pradesh has proposed converting 9 airstrips — including Sagar, Neemuch, and Chhindwara — under this scheme.
What is the PMShri Air Ambulance Service in Madhya Pradesh?
The PMShri Air Ambulance Service airlifts critically ill patients across Madhya Pradesh. More than 170 patients have used the service, with a claimed 99% survival rate . It is free for Ayushman Bharat cardholders .
Is Shivpuri getting a new airport?
Yes. Shivpuri is getting a greenfield airport — built from scratch — which is currently under construction, as confirmed by CM Dr. Mohan Yadav in August 2026.
Which new cities in MP will get airports soon?
Ujjain and Shivpuri have airports under active construction. Singrauli has also been confirmed as a future airport site by CM Yadav.
