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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
A greenfield airport is built on a fresh site. Donyi Polo (Hollongi, Itanagar) and Kushinagar are among the greenfield airports approved under the Greenfield Airports Policy and operationalised in recent years. Vijayawada is an older Airports Authority of India airport at Gannavaram that has been expanded with a new terminal, which makes it a brownfield upgrade.
- ✓ 1. Donyi Polo Airport is the greenfield airport at Hollongi, Itanagar; the Union Cabinet approved the name in November 2022.
- ✓ 2. Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh is one of the greenfield airports given 'in-principle' approval and later operationalised, as an international airport.
- ✗ 3. Vijayawada is an existing AAI airport at Gannavaram; it is not on the list of 21 approved greenfield airports. Recent work there is a new integrated terminal building at the old site.
Remember · Greenfield = new site. Recent greenfield airports include Donyi Polo (Itanagar), Kushinagar, Mopa, Shivamogga, Sindhudurg, Kalaburagi, Orvakal.
Sources
- PIB (Ministry of Civil Aviation): 21 Greenfield Airports are to be set up in the country, 11 are operationalized ↗ “Out of these, 11 Greenfield airports viz. Durgapur, Shirdi, Kannur, Pakyong, Kalaburagi, Orvakal (Kurnool), Sindhudurg, Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa and Shivamogga have been operationalised.”
- PIB: Cabinet approves naming of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, Itanagar as Donyi Polo Airport ↗ “The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the naming of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, Itanagar as “Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar”.”
- PIB (Ministry of Civil Aviation): AAI capital outlay for expansion and modernising of existing terminals ↗ “Vijayawada Construction of NITB including associated works at Vijayawada Airport.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·