India’s Airport Capacity for Passengers Surpasses 580 Million Each Year: Government Report

India’s overall airport capacity for handling passengers has reached over 580 million per annum (MPPA) following modernization and expansion initiatives across the nation, the government revealed in the Lok Sabha.

In response to an unstarred question, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol mentioned that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other airport operators are developing airport infrastructure, which includes passenger terminals, runways, aprons, cargo facilities, and other airside infrastructure based on traffic growth, operational needs, airline demand, financial viability, and techno-economic factors.

The minister reported that India’s airports managed approximately 420 million passengers during the 2025-26 period, suggesting that the current passenger-handling capacity significantly exceeds existing traffic levels.

Addressing concerns regarding congestion, the government noted that passenger traffic is influenced by seasonal demand, festivals, holidays, and airline schedules, which may result in temporary congestion during peak times. It emphasized that airport operators are continuously monitoring traffic and implementing operational strategies to facilitate smooth passenger movement.

The Centre stated that the development of airport infrastructure is an integral aspect of its Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, being pursued through the establishment of greenfield airports, expansion of existing airports, and revitalization of unserved and underserved airports under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN, alongside private investment through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The government has granted in-principle approval for 25 greenfield airports, with 14 already operational and six proposals receiving site clearance.

Additionally, as of July 10, 2026, 95 aerodromes have been operationalized under the RCS-UDAN scheme. The updated UDAN scheme targets the connection of 120 new destinations and aims to serve 4 crore passengers within the next decade. In response to a question regarding Karnataka, the minister noted that no proposal has been submitted by the state government for the development of a greenfield airport in Davanagere under the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008.

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