Government bodies, their roles and functions are important for the IAS Exam. Airports Authority of India (AAI) is one such Statutory Body under the Government of India, which is frequently seen in the News. Read on to know more about AAI, its functions and relevance for the IAS Exam.
In addition, the following links given below will also help in strengthening the candidate’s preparation for the Polity Segment of the UPSC Exams:
Airports Authority of India (AAI)
Founded in 1995, the Airports Authority of India was created through the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Hence, it is a statutory body.
- The AAI manages the building, enhancing, servicing and management of the civil aviation infrastructure in India.
- The major function of the AAI is to provide Air Traffic Management (ATM) services over airspaces that belong to the Indian Territory and the neighbouring oceanic areas.
- It also provides CNS (Communication Navigation Surveillance).
- It is responsible for the creation, management, maintenance and up-gradation of aviation infrastructure in the country. Management of international airports, domestic airports, customs airports and civil enclaves in the defence airfields is vested in the AAI.
- The headquarters of the Airports Authority of India is in New Delhi.
Latest Context on Airport Authority of India – AAI
- AAI has sanctioned Rs 242 crore for the development of the state-of-the-art airport in Ramjanamsthali Ayodhya. Thecivil aviation connectivitywill hugely benefit visitors & pilgrims.Around 270 acres of land has been made available by the Uttar Pradesh government for the first phase of airport development.
Aspirants can go through the list of National and International Airports in India on the linked page.
Also, go through a few relevant links provided below for comprehensive preparation for upcoming exams
| National Civil Aviation Policy – Increasing connectivity and economy | UDAN – Regional Connectivity Scheme |
| International Civil Aviation Organisation – ICAO | Major Ports in India |
Achievements of AAI
Some of the achievements of AAI are listed below:
| Sr. No | Projects | Description |
| 1 | Automatic Dependence Surveillance System/ADSS |
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| 2 | GAGAN Project |
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| 3 | Performance-Based Navigation |
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Airports Authority of India UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
UPSC Questions related to Airports Authority of India
Q1
How many airports does AAI Airports Authority of India manage?
There are 137 airports under the management of AAI (Airports Authority of India). They include up to 23 International Airports, 81 Domestic Airports, 23 Domestic Civil Enclaves and 10 Customs Airports.
Q2
Who is the head of the Airports Authority of India?
Former IAS officer, Arvind Singh is the chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). He took up the position in November 2019.
Q3
Why was AAI formed?
AAI was formed with the responsibility of building, enhancing, managing and servicing the infrastructure for civil aviation in India. Providing Air Traffic Management services over airspaces is one of the main functions of AAI.
For more UPSC related preparation materials and articles, visit the links given in the table below. You can familiarise yourself with the exam pattern by visiting the UPSC Syllabus:
UPSC Preparation Links
| GS 2 Structure, Strategy and Syllabus | Topic-Wise GS 2 Questions for UPSC Mains |
| IAS Officer | UPSC Age Limit |
| UPSC MCQ | IAS Preparation |
| UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice | Take IAS Mock Tests |
