New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): Union Tourism and Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Monday said that a series of G20 meetings, scheduled to take place in the country during 2023, are expected to fuel air passenger traffic.

India is the G20 President for 2023 and therefore, several meetings related to various sectors are lined up to be held in different parts of the country.

Addressing a press conference, Reddy told reporters that the government is making efforts to turn India into a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) hub and also to increase the number of operational flight routes and airports.

India, the minister said, is the world's third largest aviation sector market and the air traffic in the country is rising in the post-Covid scenario.

Reddy further informed that aviation is the driving force behind tourism and cultural exchanges.

Referring to the regional air connectivity scheme, better known as UDAN, he said that Rs 2,360 crore have been given as viability gap funding for it.

On February 12, domestic air passenger traffic touched 4,37,800 on 2,935 flights, as per official sources.