 "Airport, AAI, Indian airports, Aviation")
Indian airports, which include private as well as government-run aerodromes, have set a capital expenditure (capex) target of Rs 19,587 crore for the ongoing financial year.
If achieved, this will boost passenger-handling capacities.
The seven Adani-run airports — Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Mangaluru, Lucknow, Jaipur, Trivandrum and Navi Mumbai — have set a capex target of Rs 7,426 crore for FY24. This is according to the data shared by the ministry of civil aviation.
The country has more than 140 airports.
This planned capex will assist the Indian carriers — that plan to add more than 130 planes in FY24 — to handle the country’s air traffic boom.
In the first quarter of FY24, these seven Adani-run airports had set a capex target of Rs 1,386 crore. However, their actual capex in Q1 fell short by 6.5 per cent, according to data.
The Adani group did not respond to queries by Business Standard.
Noida international airport’s capex target for Q1 stood at Rs 522 crore. However, its actual capex in Q1 fell short by 33.7 per cent, according to the ministry data. When asked about this data, Noida International Airport replied: “Construction activity for the Noida International Airport has met all milestones, according to the concession agreement. We look forward to welcoming passengers at the airport by the end of 2024, as planned.”
Zurich Airport International won the bid to build and operate the Noida International Airport at Jewar in November 2019. The airport is around 70 km from Delhi.
The first phase of the airport must be operationalised by 2024-end, according to the concession agreement signed between Zurich Airport International and the Uttar Pradesh government.
Hyderabad International Airport’s capex target for Q1 was Rs 321 crore but its actual capex was Rs 196 crore during the time period.
Hyderabad airport, which is operated by a GMR Group-led consortium, did not respond to the newspaper's queries.
The ministry stated, “The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has achieved a 100 per cent capex target in Q1. The AAI has set a capex target of Rs 4,000 crore for FY24. Of this, Rs 1,000 crore was earmarked for the first quarter.”
The government-run AAI operates more than 120 airports in India. Last month, IndiGo placed the world’s biggest single-tranche aircraft order with Airbus — for 500 A320 family planes. This was preceded by Air India’s second-biggest and single-tranche order for 470 planes in February — 250 with Airbus and 220 with Boeing.
Indian carriers flew an average of 372,840 passengers per day in FY23, 59.81 per cent more than in FY22, according to the data. Airlines in India are expected to add 132 aircraft in FY24 to tap into the surge in passenger demand, according to CAPA India.
While Air India is expected to induct 53 aircraft, IndiGo will add 49, the aviation consultancy firm said in its annual outlook.
The combined fleet size of Indian carriers will increase from 684 at the end of March 2023 to 816 by March 2024.
According to CAPA India, domestic traffic will increase by around 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 160 million in FY24.
International traffic will surge 22-27 per cent to 72-75 million.
