8 aviation facilities set for launch in first half of 2025
The new facilities will come up in Goa, Patna, Prayagraj, Jodhpur, Hirasar (Rajkot), Satna, Datia and Thoothukudi.
In a major expansion of India’s aviation infrastructure, eight crucial airports and terminals will be inaugurated in the first half of 2025, officials said.
The new facilities will come up in Goa, Patna, Prayagraj, Jodhpur, Hirasar (Rajkot), Satna, Datia and Thoothukudi.
“Prayagraj, Jodhpur and Patna’s expansion will be completed by June 30 this year. Goa’s Dabolim airport will have a new terminal building by March,” a senior aviation ministry official said, asking not to be named.
The official added that airports at Datia, Satna and Hirasar are almost ready for inauguration.
Former civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had laid the foundation stone for Datia airport in August 2023. The airport will also serve people from nearby Jhansi.
The expansion comes as India’s domestic air passenger traffic is expected to reach 300 million by 2030. According to the Economic Survey FY 2024, India has doubled its airports since 2014.
Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu recently said the government aims to increase the number of airports to around 350 by 2047.
Both Datia and Satna airports align with the government’s UDAN (Udey Desh ka Aam Naagarik) scheme and will begin operations using 19-seater planes.
Hirasar airport has been operating since September 2023 with a temporary terminal. “The airport’s permanent terminal building will be inaugurated before June this year, though it has missed three deadlines,” said an official familiar with the development.
Another official said while work at Goa’s Dabolim airport will finish by March, Patna airport’s new domestic terminal will be ready by June-end.
“Tuticorin airport in Tamil Nadu, which currently handles only small aircraft, is being upgraded to accommodate A321 aircraft that can carry around 200 passengers. It will also handle international passengers,” the official said.
The new terminal at Jodhpur Airport, built at Rs480 crore, will cover 24,000 sq m and handle 2,500 passengers during peak hours and 3.5 million passengers annually.