From 18 million passengers a year in 2006, the Delhi Airport now handles 62 million passengers annually.
Highlights
- Delhi Airport ranked first among airports globally for two years in a row
- Minister Arun Jaitley says ranking part of 'India infrastructure story'
- He also announced Centre's plan to build 25 regional airports this year
Delhi Airport's top ranking worldwide among the airports handling around 40 million passengers annually according to recent survey was part of "India infrastructure story growing laterally", Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.
"We are now at a turning point in India's infrastructure. This year alone, there are plans to build 25 regional airports," Mr Jaitley announced at a felicitation ceremony organised by the GMR group.
For the second year in a row, the Delhi Airport has been ranked first among the world's airports in the category. The ranking is done by an independent international agency, Airports Council International.
The year also marks the tenth anniversary of the privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports in 2006, a move considered as a major achievement of the Congress-led UPA government. However, the credit of "liberalising the aviation industry" was given to Vajpayee government's "open skies policy" of 2004 by the speakers at the event .
Notwithstanding controversies during the privatisation process, Delhi airport has shown remarkable results. From handling 18 million passengers, the airport now handles 62 million passengers annually.
It's efficiency too have improved as 78 aircraft can now land and take off in an hour during peak traffic from 38 aircraft movement earlier. And despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, on time performance has improved to 82 per cent, double of what it was ten years ago.
But the aviation minister, Mr Raju, pointed that with Indian aviation witnessing robust growth, the challenge is to be future ready.
Several top ministers including Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju, his deputy Dr Mahesh Sharma and the Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, attended the function.