Aiming to set up over 200 airports in few years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that government is aiming to set up over 200 airports, heliports and waterdromes for seaplanes across the country in the next three to four years.

Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India : Addressing people after inaugurating the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, the Prime Minister said, “The effort will be to have a network of more than 200 airports, heliports and water dome in the nation in the next 3-4 years.” He also said that under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, more than 900 new air routes have been approved in the last few years, out of which air service has started in more than 350. “More than 50 new airports or those which were not in service earlier, have been made operational,” he added.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister gave its approval for the declaration of Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh as an International Airport in June 2020.
The Kushinagar International Airport has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore. It will facilitate domestic and international pilgrims to visit the Mahaparinirvana sthal of Lord Buddha and is an endeavour in connecting the Buddhist pilgrimage holy sites around the world. The airport will serve nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and is an important step in boosting the investment and employment opportunities in the region.

PM Modi terms Kushinagar International Airport as tribute to devotion of Buddhist society

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday termed the facility of Kushinagar International Airport, launched today, as a tribute to the devotion of the Buddhist society around the world.
Addressing the gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar, the Prime Minister said that India is the centre of the faith of Buddhist society around the world. This region (Kushinagar), the Prime Minister said, is witness to the entire journey from the enlightenment of Lord Buddha to Mahaparinirvana. Today this important region is getting directly connected to the world, he said.
The Prime Minister highlighted the special focus on the development of the places associated with Lord Buddha through better connectivity and the creation of facilities for the devotees. The Prime Minister welcomed the Sri Lankan flight and delegation that landed at Kushinagar.
Paying tribute to Maharshi Valmiki on his Jayanti today, the Prime Minister said that the country is marching on the path of Sabka Vikas with the help of Sabka Satha and Sabka Prayas. “Development of Kushinagar is one of the key priorities of the Uttar Pradesh and central governments,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said that tourism in all its forms, whether for faith or for leisure, needs modern infrastructure complete with rail, road, airways, waterways, hotels, hospitals, internet connectivity, hygiene, sewage treatment and renewable energy ensuring a clean environment. “All these are interconnected and it is important to work on all these simultaneously. Today’s 21st century India is moving ahead with this approach only,” the Prime Minister noted.

The Prime Minister announced that under the UDAN scheme, more than 900 new routes have been approved in the last few years, out of which air service has already started on more than 350 routes. More than 50 new airports or those, which were not in service earlier, have been made operational.
The Prime Minister highlighted the development regarding the aviation sector in Uttar Pradesh as air connectivity is constantly improving in the state. In Uttar Pradesh, eight airports are already functional before Kushinagar airport. Work is on Jewar International Airport after Lucknow, Varanasi and Kushinagar. Apart from that, airport projects are going on in Ayodhya, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad and Shravasti.
Referring to the recent decision on Air India, the Prime Minister remarked that the step will help in running the country’s aviation sector professionally and prioritising convenience and safety. “This step will give new energy to the aviation sector of India. One such major reform is related to the opening of defence airspace for civil use,” he added.
This step will reduce the distance on various air routes. The Prime Minister also conveyed that the recently launched drone policy is going to bring life-changing transformation in the fields ranging from agriculture to health, to disaster management to defence.
The Prime Minister said recently launched PM Gatishakti – National Master Plan will not only improve governance but also ensure that all modes of transport such as road, rail and air should support each other and increase each other’s capacity.
The Kushinagar International Airport has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore. It will facilitate domestic and international pilgrims to visit the Mahaparinirvana sthal of Lord Buddha and is an endeavour in connecting the Buddhist pilgrimage holy sites around the world. The airport will serve nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and is an important step in boosting the investment and employment opportunities in the region.

Sri Lankan delegation arrives in India to attend Kushinagar International Airport inauguration

Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India] : Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa along with ministerial colleagues and a group of around 100 Buddhist monks arrived at Kushinagar International Airport to attend the inaugural ceremony of the airport on Wednesday.
India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla received Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister and son of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at an event in UP’s Kushinagar where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport. Speaking to ANI, the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka Namal Rajapaksa lauded the gesture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inviting and making the Sri Lankan airlines to be the first to land at the airport.
“It is a great gesture by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open an international airport at Kushinagar, especially inviting Sri Lankan airlines as the first international carrier to land at the airport. We believe there are numerous travellers who travel to India for Buddhist pilgrimage, and opening an airport at such a holy place for the Buddhists will not only benefit the Buddhists of Sri Lanka but also Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world,” Rajapaksa said.

The Ambassador of Bhutan, Maj Gen Vetsop Namgyel told ANI that the inauguration of the airport will make the Buddhist circuit tourism very convenient.
“Wonderful development, as it will give the opportunity to Buddhist countries to come very conveniently to the most sacred place where Lord Buddha entered into Paranirvana. It will make the Buddhist circuit tourism very convenient,” he said.
Hoping that the inauguration of the airport would attract a lot of tourists from Thailand, the Ambassador of Thailand, Pattarat Hongtong said that the airport would facilitate and boost their visit to the country.
“We have a lot of Thailand people who come here for pilgrimage. So having the new international airport would facilitate and boost the visit of the Thai people. I am sure we will have a lot of tourists coming in from Thailand. The Thai people like to come to India to complete the Buddhist circuit, so having an international flight would make the trip much easier,” she told .
Speaking to ANI, the Ambassador of Vietnam, Pham Sanh Chau expressed his bliss on the inauguration of the airport and said that the biggest amount of visitors coming to India are for the Buddhist pilgrimage.
“The biggest amount of visitors coming from Vietnam to India are the Buddhist and for the Buddhist pilgrimage. So we are very happy to see this airport become an international airport. This would reduce the travel distance very much. I and my family have been here too, and I believe that we have to boost more tourism coming from Vietnam,” he said.

Ambassador of Myanmar Moe Kyaw Aung said that the move will attract more tourists from Myanmar as the majority of the population are Buddhists.
“This is a very important Buddhist circuit site. Previously they had to come from Gorakhpur, but now they can come directly to Kushinagar,” he said.
Minister Counsellor of Nepal Ananda Prasad Sharma hoped that the airport will facilitate the Buddhist devotees coming for pilgrimage.