Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said India plans to develop 100 new airports over the next decade under the Modified UDAN scheme, with the government targeting wider connectivity for smaller cities, remote regions and islands.

India will develop 100 new airports over the next 10 years under the Centre's Modified UDAN regional connectivity scheme, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said, outlining an expansion plan aimed at taking air connectivity to more parts of the country.

Naidu said approximately ₹30,000 crore would be spent over the next decade on the airport expansion programme. The announcement was made during the inauguration of India's third hub-and-spoke operation from Ahmedabad airport. 

The Union Cabinet had earlier approved the Modified UDAN scheme for FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36, with a total government-supported outlay of ₹28,840 crore. The scheme provides for the development of 100 aerodromes from existing unserved airstrips, along with support for regional airport operations and other aviation infrastructure.

Airport network expands from 74 to 166

Naidu said India's airport network has grown from 74 airports in 2014 to 166 at present, describing the expansion as a major transformation in the country's aviation sector.

He said that over the past 12 years, the country completed work on a new airport or a new terminal roughly every 40 days.

The minister said the next phase of expansion would respond to growing demand for air connectivity beyond major metropolitan centres.

Demand rising in smaller cities

Naidu said demand for airports is increasingly coming from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, Himalayan regions, remote areas and islands such as Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

He said the aspiration for air connectivity was no longer limited to major cities and that people increasingly wanted airports closer to where they lived.

The Modified UDAN framework is intended to extend regional air connectivity to underserved and unserved areas. According to the government's scheme details, it also aims to support affordable air travel, tourism, healthcare access and emergency response in remote and difficult-to-reach regions. 

Hub-and-spoke model gets greater focus

Naidu also highlighted the government's hub-and-spoke model, under which passengers from different parts of the country can be connected through major hub airports to domestic and international destinations.

Ahmedabad is the third location where the model has been introduced, following operations from Varanasi and Amritsar, according to the minister. 

The Ahmedabad operation is intended to improve connections between passengers from across the country and international destinations through an Indian aviation hub.

Naidu said that as India's airport network expands, the challenge is not merely constructing airports but ensuring that they are effectively connected both domestically and internationally.

Modified UDAN to support regional aviation

The Modified UDAN scheme covers more than airport construction. Government documents say it includes ₹12,159 crore for developing 100 aerodromes from existing unserved airstrips, ₹2,577 crore for operations and maintenance support, ₹3,661 crore for 200 modern helipads and ₹10,043 crore in viability-gap funding for airline operators. (pib.gov.in)

The scheme is also intended to strengthen India's indigenous aviation capabilities through the use of domestically manufactured aircraft and helicopters in regional operations.

Naidu described civil aviation as one of India's fastest-growing sectors, pointing to its wider contribution to economic activity and employment.

He said expanding aviation infrastructure and connectivity would have an impact well beyond the airports themselves by improving access to markets, services and opportunities