Current Events
The Ghost Airports Of
'Modern' India
MEGAN GILLER, et al
Today, more than 50 domestic-only airports operated by the Airports Authority of India haven’t had any flights scheduled this year.
Looks like India’s in for more empty baggage claims and ghostly hallways.
When we head to the airport anywhere in India, we generally expect an overflowing building, bad security and lines, lines, lines. But, here’s one example of an airport in this country which is different: it’s absolutely empty. All the time.
In Jaisalmer, a city in the tourist haven of Rajasthan -- a city which once laid its own claim to tourism -- no one has ever used these airport seats, which are now collecting dust.
“Not one passenger has passed through the gates of Jaisalmer Airport …” [Reuters News]
Two years ago, the Indian government spent $17 million on the small airport, which can handle 300,000 travelers per year and three 180-seater narrow-body jets, but no airline has ever routed a single flight there.
“Govt spends our tax money a whooping $17 million on #Jaisalmer airport which is lying unused …” [FireFly Daily]
In fact, India has spent more than $50 million in the past six years on eight different airports, which have all found themselves without any scheduled flights this year.
These now-ghost terminals were built based on the government’s theory of an increasing demand. Air travel in the country, the consultants said, was steadily increasing and India’s major airports had become completely saturated.
But privately owned airlines did not find that routing their planes to airports in more remote locations would be profitable. SpiceJet, for example, stopped flying to a new airport in Mysore last year because of a lack of demand.
“[The government] needs to realize it’s not a case of ‘build the airport and we will come,’” Sanjiv Kapoor, the chief operating officer at SpiceJet Ltd., says.
So, more than 50 ghost airports sit, scattered all over a country where most of the country defecates in open air … because there are no toilets, either private or public.
Hundreds of millions were spent to build these airports and maintain them.
Why? Because a handful of corporate supporters of the politicians needed the dough more badly than the starving billion citizens.
And thus, India welcomes foreign investments … because the greedy and the corrupt of Hindutva India desperately need so much m-o-r-e!
[Based on story by Megan Giller, Road Warrior Voices. Edited for sikhchic.com]
August 27, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Kusheshwar Verma (Kanpur, U.P., India), August 27, 2015, 11:31 AM.
It's a great arrangement we have here. You see, all we need to do is build facades .... things don't need to work. This way, we collect hundreds of millions -- not Rupees, DOLLARS! And by spending a small fraction on the facades to make them look like the money has been spent, we can funnel away the funds into our personal accounts. No one complains. We can claim we have the world's richest billionaires ... and investors from around the world rush in, looking at the riches of these select few. Now, if you think this isn't a scheme our ancient, brilliant Vedic civilization invented right here in this great land, then you simply don't know your history!
2: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, USA), August 28, 2015, 12:12 PM.
During the 300th anniversary of Guru Gaddi Divas of Guru Granth Shaib, it was nice to see the new airport at Takht Hazoor Sahib in Nanded, Hyderabad. It was very convenient to visit the gurdwara. After 18 months of operation, the airport was locked up. SGPC should take some action to revive it for easy access for the hundreds of thousands who visit this Takht. They should start with airplanes with lower capacity with about 30 seats. The main reason for the failure is the 150-seaters planes flying partially occupied and losing money.
3: Kaala Singh (Punjab), August 28, 2015, 4:47 PM.
Airports being built for people who can't afford toilets at home -- something seems weird in this scheme of things. Anyways, congratulations to this 'emerging economic superpower' for these dubious record-breaking and unique achievements.
4: Kaala Singh (Punjab), August 28, 2015, 4:54 PM.
If airports in Punjab are not stifled by the "Hub and Spoke " policy of India, they would do much better than the rest of Indian airports.