Land acquisition poses major hindrance in airport development: Patel

New Delhi: The acquisition of land, which falls within the state jurisdiction, is the main problem faced by the Centre in developing more airports in the country, said Union Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, at the recently concluded National Conference of Civil Aviation. Aviation, being a federal subject, falls under the Centre’s jurisdiction, and most states are reluctant to part with lucrative real estate within their authority.
Currently, India has 82 airports and by 2008-end, the government plans to increase the number to 100. In fact, Patel is convinced that there can be 500 operational airports across the length of the country in the near future if the states co-operate with the Centre. Emphasising on the need to develop regional connectivity, Patel said that in today’s times, no airport can be a standalone airport; it has to be a hub. “Till the time we come up with 10-12 hubs in India, we cannot think of making much progress,” offered Patel, as he went on to add about the Centre’s plan to launch a satellite-based navigation system by the year-end.
21/01/08 Arti Saggi/TravelBizMonitor

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Categories: Airports Jan 2008