Runways to Ruin in 2 years, How UP Spent Crores on 7 Airports That Fly No One

We have abandoned malls. We abandoned high-rises. We abandoned towns, created concrete jungles, and the real estate dreams that waited forever for possession. We left them all because all they promised was too much, but they gave nothing. So, we left them all to the mercy of weeds. Hence, ghost towns, concrete jungles, and abandoned real estate dreams were created. But Uttar Pradesh has abandoned airports. Not just one but 7 newly built airports. The terminals with shiny signs, hopeful runways, and check-in counters. They are now gathering nothing but dust. 

The airports built for departures that never arrived, for arrivals that never departed. These airports became runways to ruin in just 2 years. It is the proof that in UP, you can build a road to the sky, but sometimes the sky simply refuses to answer the boarding call. 

Let Corporate Soldiers show you how Uttar Pradesh spent crores on these projects, and now they are wasted.

7 Newly Built Airports

These airport projects spent crores on the infrastructure only to be closed in just 2 years. Yes, in such a short span of time, Uttar Pradesh has closed its seven shiny new airports, after quite a hullabaloo, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, speeches, and social media exposure. They are gone as quickly as their runways lit up. Now, the dream to make UP the hub of regional air connectivity becomes an example. An example for future generations to analyze how spending money on projects without proper research can become a disaster.​ The government spent a lot of money on these airports, and these airports are now closed. Therefore, all the money is wasted.

How Much Money Was Spent?

The government spent an exuberant amount of money to build these airports. The budgets were up to ₹29 crore for Shravasti, ₹146 crore for Chitrakoot, and ₹260 crore for Kushinagar. Even the news of building these airports led people to invest in nearby lands for sale. Now the investors have lost their money as well.​

What Happens to Crores Invested?

So, what happens to all those crores invested in Uttar Pradesh’s abandoned airports? We all know the answer to this question. The terminals and runways that cost from ₹30 crore to upwards of ₹250 crore will be there, abandoned, unused, with zero returns. All taxpayers’ money is gone. Everyone was hoping that these shiny new airports would bring trade, jobs, and growth for locals as well as for investors. But the funds have paid for security guards, cleaning staff, electricity bills, and maintaining empty halls for 2 years. With no flights and no passengers, airlines bailed while operating costs kept ticking up.​

Some schemes, like UDAN, tried to revive these with government subsidies, but even those failed as contracts ended. The crores were spent, but the infrastructure became a ghost town in the books as non-operational assets. The non-operational assets, a fancy word for a very expensive pile of bricks. We all know there are no easy answers for recovering this money, unless revival plans succeed somehow. Till then, these crores will remain parked, just like the planes that never arrived.​

Race to Build

Everyone was clapping when the government unveiled the plans for the airports in these places. But they forgot to research it first. They forgot the basic things, to search the future scope and needs of these airports. It seems they just wanted to participate in a race to build. All the announcements sounded impressive and worthy, new airports from Saharanpur to Kushinagar. The Prime Minister and Chief Minister virtually inaugurated terminals overnight. They promised local access to the skies for pilgrims, business travellers, and students.  

But soon, as some intellectuals expected, reality struck hard at these airports. Some airports, like Saharanpur, didn’t see a single plane take off after opening. Similarly, other airports, such as Chitrakoot, proudly launched flights, only to see the last one take wing mere months later. It went the same for Kushinagar too; their international ambitions never materialized.

Main Reasons For Shutdown

1. The main reason is affordability. The government forgot that in such areas, most people survive on minimal wages, and most middle-class families don’t prefer to spend on air travel. 
2. As we said, it turns out that most citizens in these regions prefer trains or buses, a much cheaper and convenient alternative to travelling by air. Also, the time saved by flying was not worth it, compared to a road trip.
3. Some airports were even closer to major cities, such as Shravasti, just a three-hour drive from Lucknow, Chitrakoot, only 101 km from Prayagraj, and Kushinagar, 51 km from Gorakhpur. Why fly, when you are nearly as quick on a highway?
4. In these places, the airlines faced visibility issues. There were too few passengers, and sometimes lacked suitable aircraft. 
5. Even subsidized routes under government connectivity schemes were gone when contracts ended.​

The Hopelessness At These Airports

Let’s see what else we missed. The hopelessness among the staff working at these airports. What happens to their jobs now? They must be looking for a new job or placement already. But what do they have to go through these two years? The employees must have shown up daily to terminals with no departures, leaving ticket counters untouched and luggage belts idle. Locals must have wondered as well. Was this just election-time showmanship, or a future investment waiting for revival?  In these two years, these airports became places for selfie seekers rather than fliers.

With every press release, locals and critics asked if anyone would really fly, where airlines would fly from, and if the runway was actually a highway in disguise. Seems like their queries were valid. But all in vain now. 

While we all are waiting for a smarter plan for revival, travelers might just stick to the buses, and those airport terminals will host more travellers than departures. Whatever way you choose to travel, Corporate Soldiers wishes you a happy and pleasant journey!