UP to have 21 Airports

• 09 Feb 2024

Why in News?

Emphasizing the rapid pace of the aviation sector, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister informed that the state is all set to become the first state in India to have 21 airports.

• The UP government allocated Rs 1,150 crore for the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar under Budget 2024-25.

Key Points

• The state has seen rapid growth of aviation infrastructure in the past 9 years.
  • UP had only 6 airports in 2014, and now the state has 10 airports including the newly inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya.
• By March 2024, UP will have 5 more airports, one airport each in Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Shravasti, and Chitrakoot.

Note

Noida International Airport is scheduled to open for commercial operations by the end of 2024, making UP the only state in India to have five international airports ( other four are Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya, Kushinagar International Airport, Kushinagar, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi).