A Vision of 200+ Airports
The government's ambition is staggering. India, which had just 74 operational airports in 2014, now has over 166. The plan doesn't stop there. Under a modified UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, the government plans to develop 100 new airports over the next
decade, aiming for a grand total of nearly 350 airports by 2047. The core idea is to make air travel accessible and connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, boosting tourism, trade, and making it easier for people to visit home or conduct business without grueling multi-day train journeys. This aviation push is one of the most visible signs of the country's infrastructure development.
The Joy of New Connections
For many travellers, the airport boom has been a game-changer. Suddenly, destinations that were once a long and arduous journey away are now a short flight. The UDAN scheme has been successful in connecting dozens of previously unserved or underserved airports, from the hills of the Northeast to religious centres like Deoghar and Ajmer. More than 1.49 crore passengers have taken advantage of these new routes. This means a business professional can attend a meeting in a small town and be back the same day, or a family can easily travel to their native village for a festival. The expansion has brought remote regions into the national mainstream, creating possibilities that were unimaginable a decade ago.
Growing Pains at the Gates
However, the boom has a clear downside: immense pressure on existing metropolitan airports. While new airports are popping up, major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are struggling to cope with the surge in passenger traffic. This translates into a frustrating experience for travellers: serpentine queues for security checks, overflowing departure halls, and a constant battle for seating. The rapid growth in domestic traffic, which saw a nearly 11% average annual growth before the pandemic, means that infrastructure at these critical hubs is often playing catch-up. For every convenient new flight from a small town, there is a passenger stuck in a long line at a metro airport, feeling the strain of the system's success.
DigiYatra: A Tale of Two Experiences
Technology was meant to be the solution. The DigiYatra initiative, which uses facial recognition for a paperless and seamless airport experience, is brilliant in theory. When it works, travellers can breeze through entry gates and security in seconds. But its implementation has been inconsistent. Many travellers report technical glitches, issues with facial recognition, and confusion over re-registration. Furthermore, some passengers feel subtly pressured to use the app, facing longer queues for manual processing if they opt out, while concerns around data privacy persist. The DigiYatra experience perfectly encapsulates the broader story: a futuristic promise that sometimes gets tangled in on-the-ground execution issues.
The Last-Mile Problem
Landing at a brand-new airport in a small city can feel liberating, but the journey isn't over. A frequent complaint among travellers is the 'last-mile' problem. While the airport itself might be modern, connectivity to the main city can be poor, with limited public transport and a scarcity of app-based taxis. This final hurdle can add significant time and stress to the journey, slightly dimming the glow of the otherwise convenient flight. Addressing this gap between the airport terminal and the final destination is critical for the overall passenger experience to truly feel seamless.
