160+ airports connects metropolitan cities and smaller towns
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated on 28 Mar the Rs.11,200 crore phase I of Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh, emphasising that the airport will bring numerous new opportunities for the farmers, small and medium enterprises, and the youth of western Uttar Pradesh.
“Aircraft will fly from here to the world, and this airport will also become a symbol of a developed Uttar Pradesh taking flight,” said PM Modi, highlighting the far-reaching impact of the new airport, and benefiting a vast region encompassing Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Etawah, Bulandshahr, and Faridabad. The airport was approved in 2003.
Underscoring India’s continued momentum of rapid development even during times of global crisis, the Prime Minister noted that in Western Uttar Pradesh alone, this is the fourth major project to be either inaugurated or have its foundation stone laid in recent weeks. “During this period, the foundation stone of a major semiconductor factory in Noida was laid, the country’s first Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat train gained speed, the Meerut Metro was expanded, and today the Noida International Airport is being inaugurated,” he said.
The Prime Minister credited the current Government for these remarkable achievements in UP’s development, pointing out that the semiconductor factory is making India self-reliant in technology, the Meerut Metro and Namo Bharat Rail are providing fast and smart connectivity, and the Jewar Airport is connecting entire North India to the world.
Drawing attention to the region’s emerging role as a logistics hub, the Prime Minister pointed out that this area is becoming the hub of two major freight corridors, special railway tracks laid for goods trains, which have enhanced North India’s connectivity with the seas of Bengal and Gujarat.
He noted that Dadri is the strategic point where both these corridors converge, meaning whatever farmers grow and industries produce here can now reach every corner of the world swiftly, by land and by air. “This kind of multi-modal connectivity is making UP a major attraction for investors worldwide,” explained PM Modi.
Emphasizing that airports are not merely amenities but catalysts for progress, the Prime Minister pointed out the remarkable expansion of India’s aviation infrastructure. Highlighting that today, there are more than 160 airports, PM Modi remarked that the Air connectivity is now reaching not just metropolitan cities but also smaller towns. “The current government has made air travel accessible for the common Indian,” asserted PM Modi, adding that the number of airports in Uttar Pradesh has been increased to seventeen.
Highlighting the impact of the UDAN scheme, the Prime Minister said that the government has consistently strived to ensure that while airports are built, airfares remain within the reach of ordinary families. Noting that more than one crore sixty lakh citizens have travelled by air at affordable rates by booking tickets under the UDAN scheme, the PM remarked, “Recently, the Central Government has further expanded the UDAN scheme with an approval of approximately Rs.29,000 crore, under which 100 new airports and 200 new helipads will be built in smaller cities in the coming years. UP will also benefit immensely from this.”
Speaking about India’s rapidly growing aviation sector, the Prime Minister noted that as new airports are being built, the demand for new aircraft is also rising, with various airlines placing orders for hundreds of new planes. PM Modi observed that this creates tremendous opportunities for the youth, including pilots, cabin crew, and maintenance professionals, adding that “our government is also expanding training facilities in the aviation sector” to meet this growing demand.
Addressing a critical gap in India’s aviation ecosystem, the Prime Minister drew attention to the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector, noting that 85 per cent of Indian aircraft still have to go abroad for MRO services. PM Modi noted that the government has resolved to make India self-reliant in the MRO sector as well and highlighted that today, the foundation stone of an MRO facility has been laid here at Jewar. “When ready, it will serve aircraft from India and abroad, generating revenue for the country, keeping our money within India, and creating numerous jobs for the youth,” said PM Modi.
Underlining the government’s priority of ensuring citizen convenience and saving their time and money, the Prime Minister spoke about the expansion of modern rail services such as Metro and Vande Bharat. “The Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Rail has already been used by over two and a half crore passengers. The journey between Delhi and Meerut that used to take hours is now completed in minutes,” said PM Modi.
Underscoring the unprecedented investment in modern infrastructure for a Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister shared that over the past eleven years, the infrastructure budget has been increased more than six-fold, with Rs.17 lakh crore spent on highways and expressways and over one lakh kilometres of highways constructed.
He noted that railway electrification has expanded from 20,000 kilometres before 2014 to over 40,000 kilometres since then, with nearly 100 per cent of the broad-gauge network now electrified. The Prime Minister highlighted that for the first time, the Kashmir Valley and the capitals of the North-East are being connected to the rail network, while port capacity has more than doubled in the past decade and the number of inland waterways continues to grow. “India is working at a rapid pace in every sector necessary for building a Viksit Bharat,” stated PM Modi. Fiinews.com
