New Delhi, Sep 15 : The number of operational airports in the country has doubled from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024 and the aim is to increase this figure to 350-400 by 2047, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Sunday.

The domestic air passengers have more than doubled in the past decade, with Indian airlines significantly expanding their fleets.

India is the third-largest domestic aviation market and the aviation sector has shown substantial growth, with a 15 per cent YoY increase in total air passengers handled at Indian airports reaching 37.6 crore in FY24, according the the ministry data.

'The industry has undergone a remarkable transformation, shedding its previous limitations and evolving into a vibrant and competitive sector. This dynamic shift has propelled India to the forefront of the global aviation ecosystem, becoming the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world, after the US and China,' the data revealed.

At the recent second Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India's technological and infrastructure achievements in civil aviation and emphasised the importance of making the sector more inclusive for women.

PM Modi noted that 15 per cent of India's pilots are women, significantly higher than the global average of 5 per cent, and mentioned the issuance of an advisory to further increase this number.

Meanwhile, the Regional Connectivity Scheme ' Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) was launched in 2016 which aims to provide connectivity to unserved and underserved airports of the country through the revival of the existing airstrips and airports.

RCS-UDAN is contributing to the growth of the civil aviation industry as four new and successful airlines have come up in the last 7 years.

More than 1.43 crore passengers have availed of the benefits of the scheme. Over 2.8 lakh flights have operated under the UDAN scheme so far.

About Rs 4,500 crore have been allocated for the development of airports in the country under the scheme, out of which Rs 3,751 crore have been utilised since its inception, according to the ministry.

India's aviation sector is on a transformative path, with significant strides in infrastructure development, regional connectivity, and sustainability efforts.

/IANS