Government is reportedly preparing to privatize 11 airports by the end of the financial year 2025-26, including several loss-making ones. The strategy involves bundling unprofitable airports with commercially successful ones to attract investors. This move marks the third round of airport privatization in India.
According to reports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will bundle profitable airports with loss-making ones to enhance the appeal for private investors. For example, the Varanasi airport will be packaged with Kushinagar and Gaya, which are currently underperforming. Similar bundling will be applied to other regions, including:
Bhubaneswar and Amritsar bundled with Hubli, Kangra, Raipur and Tiruchirapalli bundled with Aurangabad and Tirupati.