Archive · 29 Sep 2026
India Plans 100 New Airports as Passenger Demand Surges
India wants many more people to travel by airplane in the future.
The government says the number of passengers could become six times larger by 2047.
It is aiming for 130 crore passengers and nearly 400 airports by then.
India currently has more than 166 operating airports.
Another 66 airports are being built, and 100 more are planned.
Passenger demand has grown slightly faster than the number of available airline seats.
The aviation minister said India’s large and increasingly mobile population is helping drive this growth.
The airport expansion is intended to support the country’s growing air-travel market.
India is targeting a six-fold increase in air passengers to 130 crore by 2047.
The country aims to have nearly 400 airports by 2047, compared with more than 166 operational airports today.
Sixty-six airports are under development, while another 100 are in the pipeline.
Revenue passenger kilometres grew at a 7.3% compound annual growth rate over the past decade.
Passenger growth has outpaced available seat growth, which rose by 7% over the same period.
- Who
- Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu announced the targets.
- What
- India plans to expand to nearly 400 airports and increase passengers six-fold to 130 crore by 2047.
- When
- The announcement was made on Tuesday, with targets set for 2047.
- Where
- The announcement was made at Routes Asia 2027 concerning India’s aviation sector.
- Why
- Passenger demand is growing faster than available airline seats, supported by an increasingly mobile population.
- Passenger target
- 130 crore passengers by 2047
- Passenger growth
- Six-fold increase by 2047
- Airport target
- Nearly 400 airports by 2047
- Current airports
- More than 166 operational airports
- Airports under development
- 66
- Airports in pipeline
- 100
- Revenue passenger kilometre growth
- 7.3% compound annual growth rate over the past decade
- Available seat kilometre growth
- 7% over the past decade
