UPSC Prelims 2024 Q11: Greenfield Airports in India — Explained
Consider the following airports:
1. Donyi Polo Airport
2. Kushinagar International Airport
3. Vijayawada International Airport
In the recent past, which of the above have been constructed as Greenfield projects?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — Donyi Polo Airport was built as a new airport at Hollongi, near Itanagar. Before it opened, Arunachal Pradesh had no airport of its own at that scale. The Prime Minister laid its foundation stone in February 2019 and opened it on 19 November 2022. PIB described it as Arunachal Pradesh's first greenfield airport: over 690 acres, a cost of more than ₹640 crore and a 2,300 m runway. The name means Sun (Donyi) and Moon (Polo), whom the state's people revere.
- 2: correct — In September 2010 the Centre gave Uttar Pradesh 'in-principle' approval to build a greenfield international airport at Kushinagar. The Airports Authority of India and the UP government built it for about ₹260 crore, with a 3,200 m runway. The Prime Minister opened it on 20 October 2021, and the first flight came from Colombo carrying Buddhist monks. PIB counts Kushinagar among the greenfield airports that are now operational.
- 3: incorrect — Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram is not new. It began as a Second World War airfield and was later turned into a civilian airport. Recent work there is brownfield: a new integrated terminal, apron and ATC tower on the old site, plus being declared an international airport in 2017. Vijayawada is not on the Centre's list of 21 greenfield airports. Andhra Pradesh's entries on that list are Orvakal (Kurnool), Bhogapuram and Dagadarthi.
How to eliminate
Statement 3 is the easiest to judge. Vijayawada is a large city that has had flights for decades. A new terminal or the word 'International' in an airport's name does not make the airport greenfield. Once statement 3 is out, only the option with 1 and 2 is left, so you don't need to know the details of the other two airports. The extra clue: Kushinagar and Itanagar had no airport for commercial flights before these projects, so the airports had to be built new. Facts to remember: Donyi Polo (Itanagar, opened 2022) and Kushinagar (opened 2021) are among the greenfield airports now operating. Vijayawada's recent work is an upgrade of an old airport.
Know more
Greenfield vs brownfield airports
A greenfield airport is built on new land where there was no airport before. A brownfield project upgrades an airport that already exists: a new terminal, a longer runway, more apron space. Building a new terminal at an old airport is still brownfield.
India handles new airports under the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008. A state government, company or the Airports Authority of India (AAI) applies. Approval comes in two stages: site clearance first, then 'in-principle' approval from a Steering Committee in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
PIB reports that the Centre has given in-principle approval to 21 greenfield airports. Of these, 11 were operational by 2023. More have opened since, including Noida (Jewar), opened in March 2026.
| Operational greenfield airport | State |
|---|---|
| Durgapur | West Bengal |
| Shirdi, Sindhudurg | Maharashtra |
| Kannur | Kerala |
| Pakyong | Sikkim |
| Kalaburagi, Shivamogga | Karnataka |
| Orvakal (Kurnool) | Andhra Pradesh |
| Kushinagar | Uttar Pradesh |
| Donyi Polo, Itanagar (Hollongi) | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Mopa (Manohar International) | Goa |
Some approved airports were still being built at the time of that count. Examples are Navi Mumbai, Bhogapuram, Dholera, Hirasar, Dabra and Karaikal.
Why this matters for UPSC: many of these airports serve hilly, border or pilgrimage areas, and several started flights under UDAN, the Regional Connectivity Scheme. Kushinagar is where the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana, which places it on the Buddhist circuit (Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath). Donyi Polo gives Arunachal's capital direct air access. Questions often name airports that recently got new terminals, like Vijayawada, to catch candidates who treat 'new terminal' as 'new airport'.
In the news
Donyi Polo Airport opened in November 2022 as Arunachal Pradesh's first greenfield airport. Kushinagar International Airport opened in October 2021 as a Buddhist-circuit gateway. The Ministry of Civil Aviation's statements in Parliament in 2023 counted both among the 11 greenfield airports operating. Vijayawada was in the news for its new terminal and its international status.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Navi Mumbai International Airport: Uses Navi Mumbai to show what 'greenfield' means: an airport built on new land. That definition is what each statement tests.
- UDAN: Many recent regional airports started flights under UDAN, so the scheme helps place the airports in this question.
- Buddhist circuit: Kushinagar is a key Buddhist pilgrimage site, which is why an airport there was in the news.