In the last financial year, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) spent Rs 796 crore for repairing and maintaining 101 airports, recording a jump of 20% in the expenditure, official data revealed.
The amount increased to Rs 795.72 crore for FY 2024, up from Rs 663.42 crore in 2022-23. The latest figures were provided for 121 airports, out of which 20 saw no money being spent for their repair and maintenance.
Since the fiscal year 2021-22, AAI’s spending on these activities at the airports has been increasing. In 2021-22, the expenditure on repairs and maintenance was Rs 535.02 crore, according to data provided by the civil aviation ministry to the Rajya Sabha.
Maintenance of Indian airports
Concerns over the maintenance of airport buildings followed the collapse of the forecourt canopy at Delhi airport’s Terminal 1D in June. Not just Delhi, Jabalpur also saw its kerb area canopy getting torn at Jabalpur Airport in the same month. Rajkot airport witnessed a similar incident days later.
In a written response to the Rajya Sabha on July 29, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol stated that all airport operators have been instructed to conduct a third-party audit of the structural stability of airport buildings and related infrastructure.
“All the airport operators have also been directed to carry out a thorough evaluation of all civil, electrical and technical aspects of the building, including the design, specifications and workmanship of the roof sheeting structure before the onset of monsoon every year,” he had said.
AAI and its public-private partnership (PPP) partners have earmarked over Rs 91,000 crore for capital expenditure from 2019-20 to 2024-25. This funding is allocated for the development, upgrading, and modernization of various airports.
(With PTI inputs)