PPPAC grants in-principle approval for concessioning 11 airports under five bundled projects

The Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) has granted in-principle approval for the concessioning of 11 airports under five bundled projects, according to the record of discussion at its 149th meeting held on August 4, 2026. The five packages cover Amritsar-Kangra, Varanasi-Gaya-Kushinagar, Bhubaneswar-Hubballi, Raipur-Aurangabad and Tiruchirappalli-Tirupati airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) plans to award 50-year concessions for the operations, management and development of the airports to private operators. The proposed bundles pair larger airports with smaller facilities to improve financial viability through cross-subsidisation. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will remain responsible for air traffic control and communication, navigation and surveillance services, while AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited will continue cargo operations. Concessionaires will undertake sanctioned capex and capacity expansion linked to traffic thresholds and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India norms. The MoCA will conduct market sounding with infrastructure players before seeking the PPPAC’s final recommendation.