Pointing out that India is the third largest and the fastest growing domestic aviation market in the world in terms of number of domestic tickets sold, the Economic Survey 2017-18 states that in 2016-17, annual growth in domestic passenger departures was 23.5 per cent as compared to 3.3 per cent in the United States and 10.7 per cent in China.

The Survey states that during April-September 2017-18, domestic airlines carried 5.75 crore passengers, registering a growth of 16 per cent over the corresponding previous year period.

Scheduled Indian and foreign carriers carried 2.92 crore passengers to and from India, registering a growth rate of 9 per cent in 2017-18 (April - September) over the corresponding previous year period. During this period, the domestic air cargo handled was 6.1 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) showing a growth of 10.27 per cent over the corresponding previous year time period, and international air cargo handled was 10.7 MT showing a growth of 19.02 per cent, the Survey states.

Turning its attention to the development of infra-structure, the Survey says that Government has granted in-principle approval for setting up 18 Greenfield airports including in Mopa (Goa), Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Bijapur, Gulbarga, Hasan and Shimoga (Karnataka), Kannur (Kerala) Dagadarthi Mendal, Bhoogapuram and Oravakallu in Andhra Pradesh.

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