UPA´s low-cost airport project on hold

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government has decided to put on hold the previous once ambitious plan of developing low-cost airports in non-metro cities. However, of the 50 centres identified by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in 2013, work will continue on five low-cost airports – in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha – where construction has already been sanctioned. ¨The plan to develop the no-frills airports has been put on hold due to lack of commercial viability. Work has been processed for only (these) five airports. In many cases, the government had given approval to states and even completed the land acquisition process,¨ said a ministry official. After coming to power at the Centre last year, the present government had first decided to develop five of the 50 proposed airports in Phase-I.