India’s annual airport passenger capacity exceeds 580 million, according to the Government.

India’s total airport passenger-handling capacity has reached over 580 million passengers per annum (MPPA) due to expansion and modernization initiatives across the nation, as reported to the Lok Sabha by the government.

In a written response to an unstarred question, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol stated that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other airport operators are enhancing airport infrastructure, which encompasses passenger terminals, runways, aprons, cargo amenities, and other airside facilities, tailored to traffic growth, operational necessities, airline demand, financial sustainability, and techno-economic factors.

The minister noted that India’s airports managed approximately 420 million passengers during 2025-26, highlighting that the country’s passenger-handling capacity significantly exceeds current traffic levels.

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Addressing concerns about congestion, the government mentioned that passenger traffic varies across different airports due to seasonal demand, festivals, holidays, and airline schedules, potentially causing temporary congestion during peak times. It further stated that airport operators consistently monitor traffic and implement operational strategies to facilitate smooth passenger movement.

The Centre articulated that airport infrastructure development is a key component of its Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, pursued through the establishment of greenfield airports, expansion of existing facilities, revival of unserved and underserved airports via the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN, and attracting private investments through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

As per the response, the government has granted in-principle approval for 25 greenfield airports, with 14 currently operational and six proposals having received site clearance.

Additionally, the government indicated that 95 aerodromes had been operationalized under the RCS-UDAN scheme as of July 10, 2026. The updated UDAN scheme aims to connect 120 new destinations and cater to 4 crore passengers over the next decade. In response to a question about Karnataka, the minister mentioned that no proposal has been submitted by the state government for establishing a greenfield airport at Davanagere under the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008.

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