Budget 2025 Economic survey says Air connectivity has improved considerably with new airports, UDAN scheme

Air connectivity successful the state has improved considerably with caller airports and determination aerial connectivity scheme, the Economic Survey said connected Friday and highlighted that airdrome developers and operators person achieved 91 per cent of the Rs 91,000-crore superior expenditure envisaged for the FY20-FY25 period.

"India is the fastest-growing aviation marketplace globally. To accommodate the important maturation successful aerial traffic, Indian airlines person placed amongst the largest orders for craft globally," the Survey for 2024-25 tabled successful the Parliament said.

Domestic airlines person ordered much than 1,700 planes arsenic they look to grow their networks amid rising aerial postulation demand.

In the sphere of the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) industry, the Survey said the authorities is encouraging archetypal instrumentality manufacturers to found facilities successful India and has introduced policies to align the assemblage with planetary standards.

"New airports and improved determination connectivity nether the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) strategy person improved aerial connectivity considerably," it added.

Under UDAN, 619 routes connecting 88 airports, including 2 h2o aerodromes and 13 heliports, person been operationalised truthful far.

The airport's cargo handling capableness has been gradually increasing, reaching 8 cardinal MT successful FY24.

"Airport operators and developers, including the Airports Authority of India, are pursuing a superior expenditure program exceeding Rs 91,000 crore from FY20 to FY25.

"About 91 per cent of this has been achieved by November 2024," the survey said.

It besides mentioned astir the drones segment, craft leasing entities successful the GIFT City and rationalisation of GST connected imported craft parts and tools.

As of October 31, 2024, India has seen a notable emergence successful drone activities, with 140 distant aviator grooming organisations, 18,862 distant aviator certificates issued, 26,659 registered drones, and 82 approved drone models.

"About Rs 60.6 crore person been disbursed nether the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) strategy to enactment drone manufacturing," the survey said.

Further, it said the PM Gati Shakti inaugural aims to make a seamless multimodal connectivity web crossed the country. Under this initiative, the aviation assemblage is being integrated with different modes of transport, specified arsenic railways, roads, and waterways.

"As the electoral process settled, superior expenditure saw an uptick successful July-November 2024. Capex successful infrastructure sectors is expected to summation further momentum successful the remaining months of the existent fiscal.

"On an average, ministries related to infrastructure sectors utilised 60 per cent of the budgeted capex during April to November 2024. This compares favourably with the advancement achieved successful the aforesaid play successful FY20 erstwhile the 17th Lok Sabha elections were held," the survey said.