Airport Operator Spent Over Rs 796 Crore on Maintenance of 101 Airports
India's major airport operator Airports Authority of India (AAI) shelled out nearly 20 percent more funds amounting to Rs 796 crore for repair and upkeep works carried out across 101 airports in the country during the previous financial year, according to the latest figures. The expenditure on such critical activities has seen a consistent rise over the past few years for the agency managing a majority of the domestic airport infrastructure.
Data shared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation with the Rajya Sabha reveals that AAI spent Rs 795.72 crore towards repairs and maintenance of the 101 airports under its control in 2023-24, recording a significant jump from Rs 663.42 crore spent in the fiscal prior. Spending on airport repairs had stood at Rs 535.02 crore and Rs 635.42 crore in the two years before that. These figures only take into account the 121 total airports under AAI's ambit, with 20 airports reporting zero expenditure on such works.
Recently, structural weaknesses were uncovered at some airports raising questions over the quality of maintenance carried out. In response, regulators have directed all airport operators to conduct thorough third-party audits of buildings and critical infrastructure. Going forward, AAI and its public-private partners have earmarked massive investments of over Rs 91,000 crore until 2025 for developing and enhancing aviation infrastructure across the country. Timely repairs and maintenance will be key to leverage these investments and ensure world-class safety and passenger experience standards at Indian airports.
