AAI spent Rs 4 crore in 2018-19 to maintain 26 non-operational airports

New Delhi: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) spent Rs 4 crore in 2018-19 to maintain its 26 non-operational airports, according to an official document.

In 2017-18, the AAI had spent Rs 2.66 crore to maintain these 26 airports, the document stated. The AAI owns and manages around 100 operational airports across the country. However, it also has 26 non-operational airports with it that have no flight operations currently.

Some of these 26 airports are in the following places: Donakonda in Andhra Pradesh; Daparizo in Arunachal Pradesh; Rupsi and Shella in Assam; Jogbani, Muzaffarpur, Raxaul in Bihar; Deesa in Gujarat; Chakulia and Deogarh in Jharkhand; Panna, Satna and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.

As per the document, the remaining of these 26 airports are in the following places: Aizwal in Mizoram; Nadirgul and Warangal in Telangana; Vellore and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu; Kailashahar, Kamalpur and Khowai in Tripura; Bareilly and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh; Asansol, Balurghat and Malda in West Bengal.

In 2018-19, Rs 85 lakhs was spent by the AAI to maintain the non-operational airport at Vellore in Tamil Nadu, as per the document. On the non-operational airports of Warangal in Telangana and Kailashahar in Tripura, the AAI spent Rs 56 lakhs and Rs 48 lakhs in 2018-19, respectively, as per the document.

The AAI spent Rs 35 lakhs and Rs 28 lakhs on the non-operational airports that are situated in Rupsi in Assam and Jogbani in Bihar, respectively, according to the document.