It is expected that the Indira Gandhi International Airport would handle 100 million passengers by 2030 while a report says that in 2007 it is 23 million only. The expansion program expect that before 2010 Commonwealth Games the new terminal 3 building will be completed which will accommodate 37 million more passengers than now though the terminal building will cost US$1.94 billion. And Asia’s longest runway is inaugurated in September 2008 in Indira Gandhi International Airport. The length of this runway is 4.43 km..

The past of this airport says that it was used as an Air Force Station at the time of Second World Warand known as Palam Airport. In 1962 for traffic in Safdargunj airport passenger operation is shifted to Palam Airport and at that time Palam Airport has the ability to accommodate 1300 passenger in peak hour.

The Airport of Delhi is under construction for over 35 years and the construction contract is given to Fraport, Airports Authority of India, Eraman Malaysia, and GMR Infrastructure. And in this construction process terminal building 1A and 2 is renovated with new washrooms, ceilings, departure areas and the latest security equipment.

Several accidents take place in the IGI airport. Within these some important are described below. On 12 November 1996 a Saudi-Arabia Airlines Boeing 747 collided with an incoming Air Kazakhstan plane chartered by a fashion company. And it caused the death of all passengers of the two planes. Again on December 24, 1999 an Indian Airlines Flight 814, which had the destination at IGI Airport, was hijacked just after the moment of taking off from Kathmandu, Nepal. One of the passengers of this plane is killed and some were released whereas all are freed on 31 December 1999.

Almost 100 domestic, international, and cargo airlines’ service center is the IGI Airport. Some Indian air carriers including Kingfisher Airlines, GoAir, Deccan and Jet Lite use this airport as their major base. And for several Indian airlines including Indian Airlines, SpiceJet, Air India Regional and IndiGo Airlines IGI Airport is the final destination whereas Air India and Jet Airways use IGI Airport as their second center after Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai.

Approximately 700 flights are handled in Goa whereas 90% are the country’s charter tourist’s flights. Report says that 150 to 200 thousand foreign tourists land at Dabolim airport through the charter flights. From tourism 5-10% of the foreign tourists account in Goa is in national figure whereas 10-15% is in the country’s foreign exchange receipts. Most of the tourist’s charter flights are from U.K and Russia and Goa airport has to give attention to the accommodation of the shifted flights of night and early morning of weekdays. In 2007-08 the number of tourist from U.K is nearly 80,000 and from Russia is 40,000. And Russia and U.K are in the top of two to visit Goa.

As the Indian Navy controls Dabolim’s Air traffic Dabolim’s has to give revenue to Indian Navy. And the revenue cost is thus Landing fees Rs.17, 000 each and RNF are about Rs. 7,400. In the same reason per day the AAI get aircraft parking fees Rs 10,000 and AAI and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) receives a part of the passenger service fees equally. So it can be said that Dabolim airport is only one of the “profitable” airport of AAI.

AAI bears the expenditure for the improvement of Dabolim airport. And the runway of Dabolim airport is increased from 1,829 meters to approximately 2370 meters and Boeing 747 can now run at Dabolim Airport. As there is shortage of night parking bays report says that 40 hectors are exclusively needed to with the 14 hectors like a premium metro airport like Mumbai.

As the transfer of the required land is delayed by Navy The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry has taken a decision and planned to upgrade the Dabolim airport in 2006. And this plan includes construction of a new international passenger terminal where as the old one will be converted into the domestic terminal, and an aircraft stands over an area of 4 hectares. Though it was decided that the construction would be completed within 2007 the proceedings was held up for Indian Navy Authority.

Report says of some accident near Dabolim airport. One of those was taken place on 1 October 2002. Again a Sea Harrier collapse in December 2004 at the time of landing though the pilot survived. Same kind of an accident also takes place in early 2005 though in that case the Sea Harrier over crossed the runway. In most cases the pilot survived but on 24 December 2007 a Sea Harrier’s crash keep the operation halted for 90 minutes.

The Airport Authority of India reported that the total passenger handling capacity is increasing day by day. The figure in the year 20004-05 was yearly 1.3 million and with a daily average of 3467 passengers. At the same time the airport director claimed that n the commercial year 2006 2.2 million passengers used the airport and this increases to 0.4 million in the commercial year 2007. In this way the airport has made its position in the top ten amongst India’s airport through passenger volume.

Free baggage trolleys, wheelchairs, medical aid, lost and found baggage, assistance to physically challenge/ aged / infirm are available facilities including a restaurant, snack bar, gift and bookshops, telecommunications counter and tourist information offices of the Government of India and Government of Assam.

The flights of Guwahati airport are known as the Nine Perfect Jewels and this airport is the major hub for flights to Northeast India. Helicopter services are operated from Guwahati to Shillong (30 min), Tura (50 min), Naharlagun (Itanagar) (75 min) by Pawan Hans, a helicopter service.

Basing on the handling of flights per week Official Airline Guide (OAG) declared Mumbai-Delhi route as the seventh busiest domestic routes in the world whereas Mumbai airport is the busiest airport in the Indian Subcontinent. Both Mumbai Airport and Delhi’s IGI Airport is well known as the primary international gateway to India and passengers can get service of 46 international airlines in these airports. Air India and Jet Airways take Mumbai airport as primary center for their service and it is used as secondary center for some other airlines services and these are Indian Airlines, Jet Lite, GoAir, Air Deccan, SpiceJet, IndiGo Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines. More than 50% passengers of India use this airport and some others are Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore. Through a report it is known that within 11 months that is from April 2006 to February Mumbai airport accommodate 180,000 landings and takeoffs and over 20 million passengers, with a total of 13.56 million domestic air passengers and 6.73 million international passengers. And the growth rate of passenger is 21.28%more than from the previous year and the figure of passenger in 2005-06 was 17.6 million.

In Mumbai Airport there are two intersecting runways which r 09/27 and 14/32. They are gradually 3,445 meters and 2,925 meters long and the second one runs between terminal 1 and 2 whereas the first intersect the second in south of the terminal buildings. For aircraft landing and taxing beside runway 14/32 a parallel taxiway has been installed and it saves time.

From February 2006 with the cooperation of GVK Industries Ltd. (GVK) and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has taken step to bring innovative look on the Mumbai airport

It is decided and expected by the Airport Authority that within 2025 Nagpur airport will be built in such a way that it will handle 50 aircraft daily and 14 million passengers in a year. And for this purpose techno-feasibility study has completed in 2001 and global tenders, invitation of design consultants have already completed. It is said that the work of parallel runway is already begun. Report says that 70% of modernization work has already been completed. IT can be said that within June 2008 the remainder also have been completed. To give a rectangular shape to the existing terminal building 8,500 sq. meters and 7,000sq meters is going to be added so that the building can accommodate 600 passengers at a time.

A state-of-the-art medical inspection center, offer to provide free health facilities to air passengers in case of emergencies at the airport whereas the authorities have to handle passengers suffering from cardiac arrest and other medical complications. Hoping that Hospital groups at the airport should tackle the sick passengers the AAI has finalized to open a 24-hour medical care center. Obviously it would be a joint venture with the hospitals group. The medical groups always have the service with the latest medical equipment and life-saving drugs. A childcare center has also in plan of AAI for the mother who needs breast-feeding. AAI has also taken the decision to give the passenger pre-paid taxi and auto rickshaws services. And AAI has planned to venture a project with Vansha Nimaya Infra Project Ltd who operates the Star Bus in the city. It is planned that with the help of this company running an air-conditioned bus from the airport to the city center should provide a profitable service.

A viewers’ gallery in the old terminal building of the airport has recently opened to the public after making some modifications and its draws huge response from citizens. With two aerobridges the city terminal is equipped and it’s allow the passenger to board and land to the aircraft from the terminal building itself.

To accommodate the load of increasing passengers a third terminal building is built in 2006. To build a world-class terminal for the Trivandrum International Airport the Union Government has snctioned an airport modernization project of Rs.258 crore.

As AAI has constructed the terminal building on the city side and it brings a change of development in the IT sector and the tourism industry in the southern cities. All modern facilities such as escalators, elevators and aerobridges will be provided in this three-storied building with an area of 20,000 sq. meters and it can accommodate passengers of two AB-300s and one Boeing 747 at a time.

Common Users Terminal Equipment (CUTE) will be installed to give the passengers facility of checking in at any counter and for faster clearance of baggage X-ray machine will be attached to the side of the conveyor. According to the plan the floor area of check-in counter will be 950 sq. meters and arrival area will be 570 sq. meters and annual passenger handling capacity will be 13.3 lakh whereas in the parking lot 575 cars will be accommodate at the same time.

The airport is situated near the tourist areas and available undeveloped areas. And the airport has lots of chance to expansion and development. And for this it becomes a busy airport in Kerala. In the 3,400 m long runway of this airport any kind of aircraft can run as it is equipped with latest equipment to give commercial service. For its International traffic it has become the fourth busiest airport in India. In Kochi airport per week 464 domestic aircraft is handled and 314 international flights is handled. Like the runway the airport has a same length of taxiway.

The Kochi airport can handle the airbus A380 like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi. A new international terminal building with a duty free shop has been constructed recently. The airport has both a domestic and an international terminal. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd controls the fuel supply of this airport. And the ground of this airport is controlled by Air India. For the construction of an 18-hole golf course, business center, hotel chains, malls, industrial and IT parks and logistics center has been developed by CIAL to generate revenues by costing a 35 billion-rupee master plan and for this reason the airport company holds 440 acres land.

Passengers have the facility to get direct non-stop international flights of Abu Dhabi, Colombo, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, and Singapore from Cochin International Airport. Cochin International Airport has a link with Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Agatti, Thiruvanathapuram, Hyderabad and Bangalore by domestic flights.

It was referred to as Meenambakkam Airport because of the first terminal building of this airport, which is built near the village side of Meenambakkam at the northeast side of the airfield. In 1954 it was the final destination of Air India’s Flight from Mumbai via Belgium whereas it is one of the first airport of India. Now a day the old terminal building is used as a base for Blue Dart an Indian courier company and also as cargo terminal. And a new terminal building for passenger shifting is built in the south near Pallavaram.

It is said that Chennai International Airport has added Kamaraj and Anna terminal with the Meenambakkam terminal in 1988. With this new addition in north the south new passenger terminal complex is increasing day by day. In the passenger terminal building there are the domestic and international terminals and houses administrative offices and a restaurant. It is said that hourly flight handling capability of Chennai International Airport will be lessened by the year 2014-15. As Anna International Terminal has accommodate 3,410,253 passenger and Kamaraj Domestic Terminal Building has accommodate 7,249,501 passengers in 2007-08 and both have surpassed passenger handling capacity whereas both have capacity to handle passenger gradually 3 million and 6 million. In case of cargo handling in 2007-08 the Chennai airport, a report says handled a cargo of 270,608 tones,
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The modernization and expansion of the Meenambakkam airport is depended on the resolution and acquisition of land in nearby areas such as of Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Kerugambakkam and Tharapakkam in Sriperumbudur taluk. AAI has decided to add a parallel runway, taxiways, aprons and new passenger handling building as new creation to the airport.
It is proposed that through the Metro Rail Way System the airport will be connected to the important places of Chennai whereas the airport is situated on the busy Chennai – Tiruchirapalli Grand Southern Trunk Road and is also connected to the Suburban railway network by the Airport station.

There are three international airports in Kerala and the Calicut Airport is given recognition of international airport for improvement in infrastructure system and international flight handling. In 1977 freedom fighter K.P. Kesava Menon begin the struggle for the airport in Calicut. For the development of the airport Malabar International Airport Society is formed and from Gulf Malayalis funds are collected and it was in 1990s. Other developments like runway extension for wide-body aircraft are done by the loan from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.

The development of this airport is increasing day bay day. And at this time the Airport Authority of India has taken step to bring a new look in the airport as the volume of passenger got increased in this airport. The airport has given night parking facility to several airlines whereas it has 10 parking bays at present and it improves air connectivity of this airport. AAI has decided to make three aerobridges at the airport so that the passengers can easily and directly enter into the terminal. On May 14, 2007 in the model of spacious modern international terminal a 15,000 square meters international arrival terminal has been opened with three user-friendly conveyor belts and800 stainless steel chairs for passengers in the security-hold area. Passengers have the facilities of using escalators and elevators, fast food counters, luggage room, jewelry shop, handicraft stall, traffic direction pools, restaurant, cyber café etc. With the luxurious and practical interiors and with all the facilities the airport got international standards.

Jet airways a domestic carrier has declared to operate an international flight to Dohaand Muscat and this operation begins at 23 January 2008 from Calicut International Airport. With Jet airways Deccan Airways also going to operate internatonal routes from Calicut in August 2008 at the same time Deccan will have completed five years eligible flying experience for international routes.

Passengers should have to pay before issue of boarding pass. From August 22,2008 the UDF will be collected at the airport from all those passengers who have not been charged UDF as a part of the ticket issued to them by the Airlines/Agents. The Airport Authority requested the passengers to pay the UDF either in Cash or Credit/Debit Card before proceeding for check–in or departing.