"AAI Spends ₹796 Crore on Repairs and Maintenance for 101 Airports in Last Fiscal Year"

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) invested approximately ₹796 crore in the repairs and maintenance of 101 airports during the last financial year, marking a nearly 20 percent increase from the previous year, according to official data.

This expenditure surged from ₹663.42 crore in fiscal year 2022-23 to ₹795.72 crore in the year ending March 2024. In the fiscal year 2021-22, AAI’s spending on these activities was ₹535.02 crore.

The data, shared by the Civil Aviation Ministry with the Rajya Sabha, covers 121 AAI airports. However, no maintenance funds were allocated for 20 of these airports.

Recent incidents have highlighted concerns about airport maintenance. Notable issues include the collapse of the forecourt canopy at Delhi Airport's Terminal 1D during heavy rains on June 28, and the tearing of the tensile fabric canopy at Jabalpur Airport on June 27 and Rajkot Airport on June 29.

In response, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol announced that all airport operators have been instructed to conduct third-party audits of airport buildings' structural stability and to thoroughly evaluate civil, electrical, and technical aspects of their infrastructure before each monsoon season.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also inspects licensed airports under its annual surveillance plan, focusing on airside infrastructure.

Looking ahead, AAI and its public-private partnership (PPP) collaborators have earmarked over ₹91,000 crore for capital expenditure from 2019-20 to 2024-25. This budget is dedicated to the development, upgradation, and modernization of various airports across the country.

BS