The GST which is expected to be rolled out in 2017 and the on-going demonetisation drive could impact the growth prospects of the domestic aviation industry in the next fiscal, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has warned.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha have inaugurated the first ever airport in Bathinda at Virk Kalan village.

The importance of quality infrastructure and the development of an economy have an umbilical cord binding them and can never be seen in isolation. Broadly, infrastructure is the network of power, telecom, ports, airports, roads, civil aviation, railways, and transportation in a country and is the lifeline of the economy of a country.

Speaking recently at the industry lobby group FICCI's annual general meeting in New Delhi, Nitin Jayram Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, said the government has proposed a multimodal transport hub plan, which seeks to integrate major modes of transport such as roads, railways, ports and air.

The infrastructure sector, with transportation at the forefront, is a key enabler, acting as no less than a spinal cord for any economy and India is no exception. The infrastructure sector can be referred to as a set of basic services, facilities and physical installations required for smooth functioning of quality life in a country.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju and Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha have inaugurated the first ever airport in Bathinda at Virk Kalan village. Boarding the first flight from Delhi to Bhatinda, Gajapati Raju, Sinha and Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal were among the dignitaries who landed here.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN in October 2016, to promote regional air connectivity in the country including the North-Eastern region and creating additional infrastructure by revival of un-served and under-served airports/airstrips.

The Centre plans to double the number of airports in the country over the next two to three years to serve the largely untapped domestic aviation industry which has seen an increase in passengers, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha has said.

Air India has reported an operational loss of Rs.246.14 crore in the three months ended June 2016. The airline had turned operationally profitable in the previous fiscal. The operating loss in the first quarter of this fiscal has come down from Rs.315.37 crore in the year-ago period.