Airport operators are also monitoring passenger movement and taking operational measures during periods of higher demand caused by seasonal travel, festivals, holidays and airline schedules (Photo: MIG)
With demand for air travel rising across the country, Indian airports now have the capacity to handle more than 580 million passengers a year, while about 420 million passengers travelled through the airports in 2025-26.
In a press statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation says that the capacity expansion comes through airport modernisation, greenfield projects and expansion by the Airports Authority of India and other operators.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha recently that airport capacity is being increased based on traffic growth, operational requirements, airline demand, financial viability and techno-economic considerations.India currently has 166 airports. The government has granted in-principle approval for 25 greenfield airports, of which 14 have been operationalised. Six other proposals have received site clearance.
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The government says that airport infrastructure development covers passenger terminals, runways, aprons, cargo facilities and other airside infrastructure. Airport operators are also monitoring passenger movement and taking operational measures during periods of higher demand caused by seasonal travel, festivals, holidays and airline schedules.
The statement adds that under the RCS-UDAN scheme, 95 aerodromes had been operationalised as of July 10. The modified UDAN scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations and serve 40 million passengers over the next 10 years.
Alongside airport expansion, the government is also tracking airline fleet growth. K Rammohan Naidu, Minister of Civil Aviation said 11 scheduled and scheduled commuter airlines are currently operating in India.
Scheduled Indian airlines have 860 aircraft in operation, while airlines have placed orders for 2,056 aircraft. Of these, 427 aircraft have already been delivered.
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The remaining aircraft will be inducted according to individual airlines’ fleet expansion plans, market requirements, business strategies and commercial considerations. The government said the timing will also depend on aircraft availability, supply chain conditions and other operational factors.
The government says that it remains focussed on creating conditions for existing airlines to expand and for new operators to enter the market.
In Karnataka, the government also clarified that it has not received a proposal from the state government for a greenfield airport at Davanagere under the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008.
