UP to get 9 new airports in 15 months: Civil aviation minister

LUCKNOW: Union minister for civil aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday said Uttar Pradesh would get nine more airports in next 15 months.

Addressing the UP Investors’ Summit here, the minister said Uttar Pradesh got nine out of 25 routes finalised by the Centre under the regional connectivity scheme.

“Nine more operational airports will come up in Aligarh, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Moradabad, Myurpur (Sonebhadra), Allahabad and Shravasti in 15 months,” Raju said.

“Allahabad will be connected to 13 cities of the country. No one would have imagined this a few years ago. When the BJP came to power, there were 476 airstrips in the country and only 75 of them were airports. In three years, we have added 18 airports,” he said.

The minister said 56 more airports would be added in the country in next 15 months as the government wanted everyone to

experience air travel. “Only one per cent population of Uttar Pradesh travels by air that is why there is a huge untapped passenger potential. Air traffic is increasing in UP at a rate of 28.8% while cargo is going up by 32%. This is when most of the potential remains untapped,” he said. Raju said Lucknow airport would soon

have a unit of maintenance, repair and operations. “It will give services for aircraft at the lowest possible rates not only in India but globally too,” he said.

He said helipads would be developed at tourist destinations like Vrindavan, Mathura, Naimisharanya, Chandra Prabha, Mahoba, Chunar and Deogarh.