India To Take Long View Toward Airport Development
by Neelam Mathews May 15, 2018, 2:33 PM The Indian government has decided to take a longer-term view toward addressing its airport infrastructure needs, as domestic traffic growth reaches 18 percent a year. Finally recognizing the shortcomings of planning in three- to five-year increments, and often on an emergency basis, India endeavors now to plan for 15 to 20 years into the future, theoretically allowing for infrastructure development to keep pace with traffic growth, said minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha. The government initiative known as Next Gen Airports for India centers on upgrading technology at airports to allow for 1 billion trips per year in the next 15 years, said Airports Authority of India chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra. According to Sinha, the country will invest $15 billion in airport infrastructure over the next five years. India is also considering development of a new airport in Goa, a second air...