Eighty-one airports under the Airports Authority of India have together lost ₹10,852.9 crore over the last ten financial years. Twenty-two of them have now shut operations entirely.
Losses Topped by Safdarjung and Agartala
Safdarjung Airport in Delhi posted the biggest loss at ₹673.91 crore, despite not handling commercial flights. It now mainly ferries VVIPs to Indira Gandhi International Airport. Agartala ranked second with ₹605.23 crore in losses, followed by Hyderabad (₹564.97 crore), Dehradun (₹488.01 crore) and Vijayawada (₹483.69 crore).
Other Major Loss-Makers
Bhopal (₹480.43 crore), Aurangabad (₹447.83 crore), Tirupati (₹363.71 crore), Khajuraho (₹355.53 crore) and Imphal (₹355.19 crore) are among the worst performers financially.
22 Airports Now Non-Operational
The list of airports no longer in service includes Donakonda, Daparizo, Jogbani, Muzaffarpur, Raxaul, Deesa, Chakulia, Dhalbhumgarh, Khandwa, Panna, Shella, Aizawl, Thanjavur, Vellore, Nadirgul, Warangal, Kailashahar, Kamalpur, Khowai, Asansol, Balurghat and Malda.
Government Points to Regional Connectivity Scheme
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha that the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), launched in 2016, is aimed at improving air links from unserved and underserved airports.
Funding to Support Operations
Under UDAN, airlines receive Viability Gap Funding to offset the shortfall between operating costs and expected revenue. For 2025–26, the scheme’s budget is ₹300 crore, with incentives and concessions from central, state and airport authorities.
92 Airports Revived Under UDAN
Since its launch, UDAN has brought 92 such airports back into service, including 15 heliports and two water aerodromes, though many still struggle with low traffic and high operating costs.
