New Delhi: The Union government will permit the operation of two or more airports in major cities to meet rising air passenger traffic, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said on 4 January after the first successful test flight at the Alluri Sitharama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district.
The minister said the Centre will review the existing policy that restricts the functioning of two airports within a 150-km radius.
He noted that steps are already underway to develop new airports in Mumbai, Ghaziabad near New Delhi, Bengaluru, Parandur in Chennai and other cities, with approvals linked to saturation levels at existing airports.
Highlighting aviation as a priority sector, Naidu said the government is promoting new airports and MRO facilities to spur economic activity and generate employment. He also stressed the importance of developing multiple access roads to airports.
Calling Bhogapuram a future growth engine, the minister said the airport would boost trade, exports, tourism and local employment.
Andhra Pradesh MSME Minister Kondapalli Srinivas and GMR Group Airports Chairman G.B.S. Raju echoed optimism over the region’s growth prospects.
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