India to develop 50 more airports in 5 years: K Rammohan Naidu

Union Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced India's ambitious plan to add 50 more airports in the next five years, building upon the existing 162. He highlighted the success of the UDAN scheme in democratizing air travel by operationalizing 619 routes.

By PTI | Updated: Jun 02, 2025, 06.01 PM IST

Highlighting the growth of the Indian aviation sector, Union minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday said the country aims to have 50 more airports in the next 5 years.

Currently, there are 162 airports in India and the number has more than doubled compared to 74 airports in 2014.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), he also said that the government's regional air connectivity scheme (UDAN) democratised air travel and operationalised a total of 619 routes.

Efforts are also on to make India a global MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) hub and the segment is projected to be worth USD 4 billion by 2031, Naidu said.

Naidu also asked global players to collaborate with India for sustainable aviation fuel production as he emphasised the importance of decarbonisation.

India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets.

Start a SIP with as low as ₹500 with ET Money App!