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The Indian government is reportedly planning to privatise 11 airports by the end of the financial year 2025-26 as part of its broader asset monetisation strategy. This marks the third round of airport privatisation, with the government bundling loss-making airports with profitable ones to attract investors, Bloomberg reported.
Privatisation Plan and Expected Revenue
The planned airport sales align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal to raise ₹47,000 lakh crore by offloading state assets in 2025-26. The 11 airports on offer handled approximately 13.5 million domestic and 2.4 million international passengers in the nine months leading up to January 2025, accounting for 10% of total domestic air traffic and 4% of international traffic, according to the report.
Airports Likely to be Privatised
The Varanasi airport, a profitable venture, is expected to be bundled with loss-making Kushinagar and Gaya airports. While Varanasi attracts millions of pilgrims, Gaya—an important Buddhist destination—has struggled to generate similar tourist footfall. Kushinagar, on the other hand, has had no passenger traffic since June.
Other airport bundles reportedly include:
- Bhubaneswar and Amritsar airports with Hubli and Kangra airports
- Raipur and Tiruchirapalli airports with Aurangabad and Tirupati airports
Potential Bidders for the Airports
Billionaire Gautam Adani’s Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, currently India’s largest airport operator, is expected to be among the leading bidders. The Adani Group had secured six airports in the second round of privatisation and also took over GVK’s stake in Mumbai’s airport. Another potential bidder is GMR Airports Ltd, which operates New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which currently manages these airports, will finalise the privatisation plan and seek government approval within a month. The selection of operators will be based on the highest revenue-per-passenger bid to ensure transparency in revenue-sharing with AAI.
Sources By Agencies
