Built but Barely Used: The Reality of India’s Regional Airports

On the outskirts of Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh, a gleaming new terminal stands waiting. The airport, inaugurated with much fanfare in 2024 under the government’s UDAN scheme, was meant to connect this small town to Lucknow and Delhi. But months later, the runway lies silent. The check-in counters have never seen a boarding pass, and the only people inside are security guards scrolling through their phones. For the locals, the airport has become less a gateway to opportunity and more a reminder of a promise that never took flight.

This is how India’s regional airports are turning out—more by form than by function. The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, launched in 2016 as part of India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), was designed to transform the country’s aviation landscape by linking smaller towns with major cities and making air travel affordable for the common citizen.

But years after its high-profile rollout, the data tells a different story.

“The biggest issue is whether a proper study of the catchment area was done before making these airports operational,” C.K. Govil, former president of The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI), told The Core.

“Are people living there willing—and financially able—to undertake air travel? Even under the UDAN scheme, the ticket prices may still be unaffordable for many. That’s one of the main reasons why several airports were inaugurated with much fanfare but never really took off.”

What he identifies is a common thread: infrastructure built, ribbon cut—but demand, connectivity, and commercial viability are often missing.

“Many of these airports don’t have adequate terminals or runways… Basic facilities like night navigation systems are missing. Then there’s the issue of low passenger footfall, which makes operations economically unviable for airlines,” Vandana Singh, chairperson of the Aviation Cargo Federation of Aviation Industry in India (FAII), told The Core.

A significant number of regional airports remain non-operational, plagued by poor planning, lack of demand, and coordination gaps between state agencies and airlines — raising hard questions about the viability of the country’s aviation expansion model.

From Ambition to Inertia

Launched in October 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Policy, the UDAN scheme promised to connect underserved and unserved airports across India. At launch, the vision was bold: aircraft flying from smaller towns, subsidised fares, lasers on smaller jets opening up new routes.

By March 2025, official data shows that the number of operational airports in India had grown from 74 in 2014 to about 160. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) notes that as of October 10 2025, some 93 aerodromes were operationalised under UDAN, and 649 routes had been inaugurated.

However, studies and audits suggest that many airports remain underutilised, or that routes once inaugurated have been discontinued.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as of October 2024, 601 routes and 71 airports had been operationalised under UDAN, facilitating over 1.44 crore passengers across more than 2.8 lakh flights. Separately, by early 2025, reports list 625 routes across approximately 88 unserved and underserved airports.

But a key evaluation found that about 52% of awarded routes never even began operations, and only 7% of routes remained operational beyond three years.

Promise Vs Performance

Under UDAN, the numbers initially looked promising. The scheme envisioned connecting unserved and underserved airports, offering subsidised ticketing, incentives for airlines, and infrastructure upgrade support.

Pilot shortages, absence of suitable aircraft (e.g., 40- or 60-seat jets), low occupancy, and poor ground‐connectivity are a list of obstacles.

“There also needs to be greater passenger awareness. Many people don’t even know that some of these regional airports exist. Look at how well Ayodhya International Airport has been marketed — we need to promote the others similarly,” Singh said.

By one account, as of April 2024, 85 airports had been operationalised under the scheme, comprising 65 unserved and 20 underserved. Yet a closer look shows these figures mask large caveats. An article in The Print noted that 16 airports built under UDAN were unused, the highest numbers in Gujarat and Punjab.

The infrastructure-demand disconnect is clear. “Can the larger airlines afford to run operations profitably? With Delhi, Jewar and Hisar all so close, do we even have enough passengers or cargo to justify so many airports in the same region?” Govil said.

Airports Inaugurated But Not Operational

While comprehensive, up-to-date lists are hard to find, parliamentary responses and analysis give some insight into airports that were built or announced, yet remain under-utilised or non-operational.

Across India, several regional airports stand ready but remain grounded for reasons ranging from poor infrastructure to low passenger demand.

In Tripura, for instance, the Kailashahar Airport—first built during World War II and shut down in the 1990s—was earmarked for revival under the UDAN scheme in 2018. Yet, the airstrip’s short 1,000-metre runway and lack of airline interest have kept it non-operational.

In Bihar, the Muzaffarpur Airport project, originally conceived years ago and revived with new tenders in 2025, has seen repeated delays. Construction is still underway, with flights now expected in 2026.

Similarly, Deesa Airport in Gujarat, which has existed as a small airstrip since the early 2000s, continues to await commercial flights. Parliamentary records show no airline has come forward to operate there, citing inadequate terminal facilities and low demand.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Azamgarh Airport—inaugurated with much fanfare in March 2024 under the UDAN scheme—managed to start flights briefly, only to suspend operations by November the same year due to lack of passengers.

“Several issues should have been resolved earlier at the Azamgarh airport. I remember there were quite a few farmer protests and land acquisition problems that delayed the process,” Singh said.

These examples reflect the broader pattern: airports may exist on paper — but with no airlines operating, little demand, or missing essential infrastructure, their potential remains untapped.

Upcoming Regional / Greenfield Airports

Yet, even as some airports sit idle, the building continues. India’s aviation map continues to expand, with new regional and greenfield projects being cleared every year.

Among the upcoming ones is Kota Greenfield Airport in Rajasthan, spanning 1,200 acres and designed to accommodate Airbus A320-type aircraft. Puri International Airport in Odisha has been cleared at an estimated cost of Rs 5,631 crore, while Hassan Airport in Karnataka — first proposed two decades ago — has finally been revived under UDAN. Meanwhile, Gujarat’s ambitious Dholera International Airport is under construction, expected to complement the nearby industrial region and eventually ease pressure on Ahmedabad.

The government’s 2025 Union Budget reiterated this optimism, outlining a plan to connect 120 new destinations and attract four crore additional passengers over the next decade. The ambition is undeniable — but so are the challenges.

In addition, the union budget for 2025 highlighted the scheme’s plan to connect 120 new destinations over the next 10 years and bring in an additional 4 crore passengers.

Why The Disconnect?

On paper, India’s regional air dream looked unstoppable. But on the ground, empty runways tell a quieter truth. “Are people living there willing — and financially able — to undertake air travel?” Govil said.

In many small towns, the answer seems to be no. Even subsidised fares under the government’s UDAN scheme can be steep for local travellers. “There’s a low passenger footfall, so it’s not economically viable for airlines to operate. Smaller aircraft could help, but the equipment and infrastructure to support them just aren’t there yet,” said Singh.

Step into some of these airports and you will find terminals without basic systems. “A lot of these airports don’t have adequate terminals or runways. Basic facilities like night navigation systems are missing,” Singh said.

Without those essentials, airlines either can’t operate safely — or simply don’t bother trying.

For airlines, regional routes are a hard sell. Smaller aircraft, fewer passengers and higher per-seat costs make it tough to break even. Once initial subsidies dry up, so do the flights. Government data shows that of the 517 routes launched under UDAN by late 2023, barely half remained operational.

“Even the larger airlines — do they really have the passenger volumes or revenue to sustain flights to such regional airports?” Govil said.

Then there’s the competition from the ground. India’s rapidly improving highways and rail networks have quietly stolen the show.

For many travellers, a few hours on a new expressway feels faster, cheaper and simpler than navigating a half-functional airport with limited flight options.

“With such good road infrastructure and connectivity, is it even feasible to have so many airports?” Govil said.

Ironically, some of the newest airports aren’t struggling because of remoteness — but because there are too many of them too close together. Around Delhi, for example, Jewar and Hisar are both being developed even as Indira Gandhi International continues to expand. “The proximity and overlapping catchment area raise real questions. Why would airlines operate smaller aircraft there when bigger hubs are so close?” Govil said.

When the Model Works

Yet not every story ends in silence. A handful of airports show what happens when planning meets demand.

Take Jharsuguda Airport in Odisha — once a sleepy airstrip, it became a bustling regional hub after UDAN flights to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata took off in 2018. The key? A thriving industrial base nearby and steady corporate traffic.

Or Hubballi Airport in Karnataka, which went from near dormancy to handling multiple daily flights after a terminal upgrade and better highway access. Similarly, Shirdi Airport in Maharashtra saw success by capitalising on steady pilgrimage traffic and positioning itself as an alternative to Mumbai for nearby towns.

Even Pakyong Airport in Sikkim — after early setbacks — is now seeing a modest revival, thanks to renewed airline interest and government focus on tourism connectivity.

These airports succeeded because they understood their audience — religious, business, or tourist — and built around that reality. “Wherever there’s a strong, steady catchment and local support, UDAN has shown results. It’s not that the model is broken — it’s just unevenly applied,” Singh said.

The Way Forward

According to Singh, the extension of the UDAN scheme by another ten years is designed to address some of these gaps.

“The focus now has to be on bringing in smaller aircraft, connecting more regional and greenfield airports, and developing the infrastructure around them.”

She highlights route rationalisation (assessing which routes are viable) and the role of state governments in subsidies, reduced charges, and stakeholder collaboration.

Govil underscores the need for accountability. “If you are charging international-level prices (or building at international-cost airports), then are you providing that kind of infrastructure and the facilities to commensurate with the price? Where is the oversight or auditing?”

Without that, investments may fail to return social or economic benefit.

What emerges from their commentary is that building airports is only one half of the equation. The other, critical half is ensuring they are used: by airlines, by travellers, by cargo. The states, airlines, local industry, and government incentive mechanisms—all must click into place.

Author:   Zinal Dedhia

India’s UDAN scheme built dozens of regional airports, but many lie idle—victims of poor planning, low demand, and weak connectivity.

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