The Prime Minister has said that efforts are on to create world-class aviation infrastructure across the country on a mission mode. Dr Manmohan Singh said, the aviation sector has a potential to absorb 120 billion US dollars worth of investment and can create lakhs of employment opportunities both directly and indirectly. He said, the growth of low-cost air travel has given a strong competition to the railways by making new frequent flyers. Dr Singh was speaking after inaugurating the new international terminal building at the Thiruananthapuram airport in Kerala yesterday. Emphasizing the importance of aviation sector in the country's economy which is getting integrated to the global economy, he said the government has formulated various policies to give a boost to this vital sector. Dr Singh said, creation of modern and efficient infrastructure at the airports to handle passenger volumes of this magnitude requires huge investment and this also creates significant opportunities and challenges. He said, a roadmap to modernize the existing airports on a mission mode to create world-class infrastructure is being implemented at a fast pace as air transport in the country is witnessing an unprecedented growth. The Prime Minister said, while domestic air traffic has tripled, international traffic to and from India more than doubled in the last seven years. An exponential growth in passenger traffic is expected in this decade as well, he said, adding in recent years it has become vital for development of trade, industry and tourism, creating jobs for all sections.