The government’s demonetisation move, which reportedly hit demand in several sectors, has not had any impact on air travel in the country. The Indian aviation industry’s strong passenger growth continued unabated in December when domestic airlines flew 23.91 per cent more passengers than a year earlier, according to latest data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

About 44 airports across the country have high potential for operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) for civil aviation, UDAN, according to a report from industry body FICCI.

A sum of $10 billion would be spent in the next five years to develop airport infrastructure in India so that the country could become the world’s third largest aviation market in seven years, Civil Aviation Secretary RN Choubey has said.

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.