AAI’s modernisation plans of 35 non-metro airports hit by economic downturn
The government’s plan for modernisation of 35 non-metro airports may fall prey to the current economic downturn. These 35 airports which were to be upgraded and modernised by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) by 2009-2010, might not be complete by the slated deadline. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is now looking at prioritising some of the more commercially viable and important airports from among these 35 airports. In the face of the global melt down, air traffic has fallen sharply resulting in lower revenues which has strapped AAI of resources. In fact, due to reduction in flights and passenger flow, AAI has seen a sharp reduction in revenues on account of airport charges. Revenues have decreased by Rs 228 crore during April to September 2008 as compared to the corresponding period in 2007. The Ministry is now, as a result, likely to come up with an internal shortlist of airports to be put on the fast-track. Meanwhile, modernisation work has already begun at some of the airports under which AAI was to undertake terminal building and air side infrastructure development at Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Pune, Varanasi, Port Blair, Agartala and Dehradun.
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