New Delhi, Feb 24 || India’s alternate airports, built to reduce pressure on crowded metro hubs, are expected to reach a combined annual passenger handling capacity of around 40 million by the end of 2026, a new report said on Tuesday.
These airports are likely to play a crucial role in handling rising air travel demand as older airports in key metro regions operate close to their maximum limits, according to a report.
The report said that over the next four financial years, further expansion at these alternate airports will increase their total capacity to handle 45-50 million passengers annually by fiscal 2030.
The growth will be supported by pent-up demand due to congestion at existing airports and the gradual expansion of catchment areas as connectivity improves.
However, the report cautioned that timely ramp-up of operations will be critical to ensure financial stability.
Crisil’s analysis focuses on operational and upcoming alternate airports located in the same regions as older airports, including the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Goa.