AAI sends Rs 2.61 cr for maintenance of 27 airports where no flights take place

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has spent more than Rs 2.5 crore in the last fiscal on the maintenance of its 27 airports where no takeoff or landing of flights take place, the Lok Sabha was told Thursday.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply that the revival of airstrips/airports is ''demand driven'', depending upon a firm commitment from airline operators as well as from the state governments for providing various concessions.

"There are 27 airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI) where no takeoff or landing of flights take place. AAI has spent Rs 2.61 crores on maintenance of these airports during the financial year 2017-18," he said.

Sinha said the ministry had launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) in October 2016 with the objective to facilitate/stimulate regional air connectivity to currently underserved and unserved airports by making it affordable.

He said 73 RCS (17 underserved and 56 unserved) airports have been identified in the first and second round of bidding under RCS-UDAN for their revival.

(With inputs from agencies.)