World · India Bureau
India to build 100 new airports under decade-long connectivity push
The government has unveiled an ambitious expansion programme to establish air links with underserved cities and remote areas across the country. The initiative seeks to overcome operational challenges that have hindered previous regional aviation schemes.
LSN India ·
India is moving ahead with plans to construct approximately 100 new airports over the next decade as part of a comprehensive strategy to democratise air travel beyond major metropolitan centres. The expansion programme targets cities and regions that currently lack adequate aviation infrastructure, with authorities aiming to integrate remote and smaller towns into the national air transport network.
The initiative represents a significant scaling up of the government's commitment to regional connectivity. Earlier schemes, including the regional aviation programme, faced operational hurdles that limited their effectiveness in sustaining routes to less commercially viable destinations.
The new airports are expected to catalyse economic development in tier-two and tier-three cities by improving accessibility for business travel, tourism, and cargo movement. Officials have indicated that the expansion will be phased, with priorities determined by factors including population density, economic activity, and existing transport gaps.
The 10-year roadmap aims to ensure that air transport becomes accessible to citizens across India's diverse geography. By creating a distributed network of smaller airports, the government seeks to reduce regional disparities in connectivity and support the growth trajectory of emerging economic centres.