The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked all state governments to prepare plans and create inventory of airports, helipads or even unused airstrips which they want to develop and upgrade. AAI aims to operationalise 225 airports across the country by 2020. The country is having 456 airports and airstrips spread all over,

with many of them built before or during World War II. Speaking to media, AAI Chairman V P Agrawal said developing these non-metro airports to enhance air connectivity in the hinterland is part of AAI's plan to reactivate, upgrade and modernise at least 225 airports by 2020. He said, the state governments have been asked to prepare

prospective plans to develop airports or helipads in their respective regions, prepare an inventory of airstrips, helipads and airports and forward them to AAI. Mr Agrawal said, depending on the traffic density forecast and possibilities of non-aeronautical revenue exploitation by using surplus land and connectivity with state capitals, the AAI would develop airports at these Tier-II and Tier-III cities. He, however, said these works could be taken up either through PPP mode or in collaboration between AAI and state governments or through complete privatisation.

On the two major metro airports it is developing, Mr Agrawal said the plush new airport at Chennai is likely to be inaugurated next month, while the one at Kolkata would be completed for launch before October.

AAI has already developed 35 non-metro airports and completed upgrading of another 21, as it is carrying out work in six more at present.

The government has given in-principle approval to set up greenfield airports at Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Durgapur in Bengal, Shimoga, Hassan, Gulbarga and Bijapur in Karnataka, Kannur in Kerala, Pakyong in Sikkim, Datia in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar in UP and Karaikal in Puducherry.