Centre for states' help in developing non-operational airports

Centre today said it is open to enter into joint ventures with state governments for development of non-operational airports under their jurisdiction.

Centre on Tueday said it is open to enter into joint ventures with state governments for development of non-operational airports under their jurisdiction.

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"The government had conducted a feasibility study for revival of 32 non-operational airports belonging to Airports Authority of India (AAI). As per the feasibility report, 13 such airports have been recommended for development," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told Rajya Sabha.

He said during Question Hour that though the proposal has been accepted by AAI, it alone cannot undertake this exercise and state governments should also come forward and assist it in the process by helping in procuring land.

"We can examine the possibility of entering into joint ventures with states for developing airports which are state government property," he said.

Patel said the Centre has signed an MoU with Rajasthan for taking over of Kishangarh airstrip belonging to the state government for developing it into a full-fledged airport to cater to small aircraft operations.

The minister said the 13 non-operational airports being revived include those at Passighat and Tezu (in Arunachal Pradesh), Kamalpur (Tripura) and Rupsi (Assam).

He said the government has developed an airport at Kargil, which needs to be made more commercially viable.

For development of airport in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, additional land is required, the minister said in reply to a supplementary.