New Delhi, Mar 20 (IANS): There are 17 scheduled airlines operating in India while the number of aircrafts endorsed by the aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) on the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) is 718.

As per a written reply by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Rajya Sabha on Monday, at present, there are 148 operational airports in the country, which includes 137 airports, two water aerodromes and nine heliports. There were 96 operational airports of the Airports Authority of India as on March 2017.

VGF (Viability Gap Funding) amount of around Rs 2,454 crore has been released to selected airline operators as on March 7, 2023, for the operation of UDAN flights across the country.

This information was shared by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, V.K. Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

In another reply, the Ministry said that the Union government has granted 'in-principle' approval for setting up of 21 new greenfield airports in the country. Of these, Mopa (Goa), Noida (Jewar), Navi Mumbai and Dholera will also act as second airports to the existing airports.

As a second airport to Chennai, Tamil Nadu government has submitted an application to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for granting 'Site-Clearance' for development of a new Greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu, and the proposal is under examination by the Airports Authority of India, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Ministry of Defence.