Budget 2023: FM Sitharaman Boosts Air Connectivity With 50 New Airports

In Union Budget 2023-24, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures to improve regional air connectivity in India. She said that 50 additional airports, heliports, water aerodromes, and advanced landing grounds will be built and revived to enhance connectivity. This move is expected to further push the ongoing UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme which aims to improve regional connectivity across the country.

This significant move by the government will not only improve air connectivity but also provide opportunities to create thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly. This will also lead to the growth of a number of aviation domains. As per the Economic Survey, the country’s civil aviation sector has “great potential” owing to growing demand from the middle class, higher disposable incomes, and favorable demographics.

The UDAN scheme has been successful in providing air connectivity to various cities in the country. It has transported almost close to 1.15 crore people in the last six years. The success of the scheme can be attributed to the vision of the government to provide regional connectivity and create jobs in the aviation sector.

After the Budget, the government has also identified 100 critical transport infrastructure projects for last and first-mile connectivity for ports, coal, steel, fertilizer, and food grains sectors. These projects will be taken up on priority with an investment of Rs 75,000 crore, including Rs 15,000 crore from private sources.

On Tuesday, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament and highlighted the country’s rapidly growing aviation sector. She stated that since 2014, the number of airports in India has increased from 74 to 147, making India the third-largest aviation market in the world. She credited the UDAN Yojana for having a major role in this success. Dr. Arun Lohiya, Chief Operating Officer of CAD Ventures Pvt Ltd, also expressed his approval for the Finance Minister’s vision and remarked that the addition of 50 more airports will bring many job opportunities, both directly and indirectly, and it will provide an opportunity for further aviation domains to expand.

The Economic Survey reported that the civil aviation sector has “great potential” due to the middle-class population and higher disposable incomes, while air travel has started to rebound with the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.