LUCKNOW: Acknowledging the importance of Uttar Pradesh with the largest population as the most favourable destination for investment, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia felt that be it Ayodhya, the land of Lord Ram or Mathura, the land of Lord Krishna or even Kashi, UP had always shown a path of transformation culturally, philosophically and spiritually to the nation.
During an interaction on Saturday, the minister said that the sector of civil aviation, the services of which were was limited to the elitest few till a few years ago was democratized a great deal to become the bullwork of travel and transportation for the masses in the country and also in states like Uttar Pradesh reflecting a huge transformation.
When asked about the upcoming international airport projects in UP, the minister said that UP would soon would have 21 airports (five international and 16 domestic), the highest number in the country.Over the growing potential of civil aviation sector in the country, Scindia claimed that the 200 million pre-covid travellers — 144 million domestic and 60 million foreign – will be increased to become 400 million in the next five years in the country.
When asked with reference to UP, Scindia said that the number of air traffic movement which was just 604 in 2014 had now grown into 1490 air traffic movements at a growth rate oof 146 per cent. On the number of jobs the sector would offer to the youth of the state, the minister said civil aviation across the world had become a driver of GDP multiplier.It is also an employment multiplier with one direct job in the sector leads to six indirect jobs, he said.