The Hindu Business Line : `35 non-metro airports to be developed by 2009'

THE Ministry of Civil Aviation plans to develop the 35 non-metro airports in a time-bound manner. Mr Praful Patel, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said the projects would be rolled out in 2006-07 and would be completed by 2008-09.

It was proposed to develop these airports in public-private partnership. However, unlike the upgradation and modernisation of the Mumbai and Delhi airports, where the joint ventures would develop the airports, the Government planned to forge joint ventures for the city-side development of the non-metro airports. This could include retail outlets, hotels, etc.

The funds generated from the city-side development were proposed to be ploughed into the air-side development work which would be undertaken by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), he said.

Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Amritsar, and Tiruchi are among the 35 airports to be developed, Mr Patel said at the Indian Merchants' Chamber here today.

The upgradation of the non-metro airports was expected to cost Rs 5,000-6,000 crore. Further, it is proposed to develop these airports in clusters of five airports that would comprise a mix of profitable and non-profitable airports to ensure that the project was attractive to the developer. Special purpose vehicles (SPVs) would be set up to develop the airports.

The Government had also appointed financial, technical and legal advisors for these 35 airports. Clearances for all 35 would be obtained in a single shot, he said.

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