New Delhi: In a major step towards upgrading the airports, The Prime Minister's Committee on Infrastructure has decided to modernise 35 non-metro airports by 2008-2009 with a total investment of Rs 800 crore.
They would be developed by private partnership model where the private players would also get a chance to develop non-aeronautical services.
The airports would be modernised in three phases. The first phase will include Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow and Goa.
While second phase will privatise Aurangabad, Vadodara, Bhopal, Indore, Nagpur, Vishakapatnam and Patna.
Finally third phase will include Agra, Pune, Jammu, Ranchi and Raipur.
The Government said the development of Kolkata and Chennai airports would be taken up on a priority basis after due consultations, besides modernisation of 35 non-metro airports.
Talking to reporters after the meeting of the Committee on Infrastructure chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the 35 non-metro airports, including two green field airports at Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, would be developed by AAI.
Public-private partnership route would be preferred for non-aeronautical exercises.
Patel said Singh had laid a special emphasis on development of Northeast airports and also the green field airports at Sikkim and Arunchal Pradesh.
He said the construction work will be completed by 2008-09 and the partner for the PPP would be decided after due bidding process.
Patel also said the Planning Commission has also evinced keen interest on the development of non-metro airports.
Replying to a query, Patel said final touches were being given to the Civil Aviation Policy and it would be presented to the Cabinet for its approval soon.
(With agency inputs)
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