Gujarat's Dholera Included in 21 Greenfield Airports Across the Country

The Government of India has given 'in-principle approval' for setting up of 21 greenfield airports across the country at Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Sindhudurg and Shirdi in Maharashtra, Bijapur, Hassan, Kalaburagi and Shimoga in Karnataka, Dabra (Gwalior). Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Jewar (Noida) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat, Karaikal, Dagdarthi, Bhogapuram and Orvakal (Kurnool) in Puducherry, Durgapur in Andhra Pradesh, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Kerala, Arunachal Greenfield airports will be built in the state. Of these, 8 Greenfield Airports are Durgapur Airport in West Bengal, Shirdi Airport in Maharashtra, Kannur Airport in Kerala, Pakyong Airport in Sikkim, Kalaburagi Airport in Karnataka, Oravakal (Kurnool) Airport in Andhra Pradesh,

The timeline for the construction of the airport depends on various factors such as land acquisition by the respective airport developers, mandatory approvals, removal of bottlenecks, financial closure, etc. The responsibility of implementation of airport projects including project funding rests with the concerned airport developer including the concerned state government (if the state government is the proponent of the project). The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) in October 2016 to encourage regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable for the masses. The expansion/development of the airport under the scheme is 'demand driven' depending upon the definite commitment of the airline operators as well as the State Government to provide various concessions. 

Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Dr. VK Singh said that the Airports Authority of India has taken up the work of development of new airports and upgradation of existing airports at an estimated cost of about Rs.25 thousand crores in the next 4-5 years. The Minister also informed that out of the eight airports, the work has been started. Singh also informed that three public-private partnership (PPP) airports at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are planned for expansion by 2025 with an outlay of Rs 30,000 crore. Explain that the government had formulated the Greenfield Airport Policy, 2008 to provide guidelines for setting up new greenfield airports in the country. As per the policy, an airport developer (including state governments) is required to send a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). 

Green field airport is also being built in Dholera. Asked about the details of the progress of the project, the state industries minister said the total cost of the project was Rs 2,772 crore, but the revised estimate would now be Rs 1,305 crore. The tendering process for the first phase of the first phase of development has been completed, however, the work will be awarded after getting the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. No cost has been incurred under this project but the ancillary cost of the airport project by Dholera International Airport Company Limited is Rs 9.02 crore. The proposed time frame for this project is four years from the date of submission of work.