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State-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) has earmarked ₹3,490 crore for upgradation of aerial navigation infrastructure, including ₹1,532 crore for automation of aerial postulation absorption systems astatine airports.
AAI is the lone Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) successful the country.
On Thursday (February 12, 2026), Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha that AAI continuously undertakes modernisation of aerial navigation infrastructure and upgradation of Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems to cater to the increasing aerial postulation demand.
Parliament Budget Session: Follow LIVE updates connected February 12, 2026
"AAI has earmarked a superior outlay of astir ₹3,490 crore during the play 2026–2028 for the modernisation of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) infrastructure astatine assorted airports crossed the country.
"Out of the said expenditure, astir ₹1,532 crore pertains to automation of ATM systems crossed airports," helium said successful a written reply.
The remaining funds person been allocated for the upgradation of different CNS/ATM equipment.
In November past year, a glitch successful the aerial postulation power strategy had disrupted formation operations astatine the Delhi airport.
Separately, AAI has issued a Request for Proposal to IIT Madras for engagement arsenic a advisor to enactment and fortify the cyber information model of OT/IT (Operational Technology/ Information Technology) systems astatine its airports.
The scope of the consultancy includes formulation of cyber information architecture and appraisal of manpower requirements for cyber information verticals successful AAI, the Minister said.
Mr. Mohol, successful the written reply, besides said AAI undertakes recruitment from clip to clip to guarantee availability of capable method manpower for maintaining operational information and continuity of services.
"During the past 3 years, recruitment to 2,341 posts successful method roles astatine the enforcement level has been conducted by AAI," helium added.
Government says 1,279 aerial postulation controller posts lying vacant
A full of 1,279 posts retired of the sanctioned 5,537 positions for aerial postulation controllers are lying vacant, the authorities said connected Thursday (February 11, 2026).
The aerial postulation is managed by the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is besides the sole Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) successful the country.
“Air postulation is managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) done a full sanctioned spot of 5,537 Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs). The full vacancies of ATCOs are 1,279,” Mr. Mohol told the Lok Sabha.
To day successful the existent fiscal year, 4,320 ATC unit person been trained astatine the 7 operational grooming centres successful the country.
The Minister said deployment of ATCOs is undertaken by AAI based connected the Directorate General of Civil Aviation - Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) connected Watch Duty Time Limitations (WDTL), which is arsenic per planetary norms and besides arsenic per aerial postulation measurement astatine airports, to guarantee harmless and businesslike aerial postulation management.
“Aviation information is maintained done optimal utilisation of disposable manpower successful accordance with the extant norms and standards. No cardinal operational units person been unopen down owed to manpower shortage,” Mr. Mohol said successful a written reply.
India is 1 of the world’s fastest-growing civilian aviation markets.
