More airports, connectivity bringing people closer, boosting progress: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the aviation sector is bringing people closer and boosting national progress with more airports and better connectivity.

The prime minister shared a tweet by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia about domestic air traffic touching a new post-COVID high of nearly 4.45 lakh on February 19.

"More airports and better connectivity...the aviation sector is bringing people closer and boosting national progress," Modi said in a tweet.

Prior to COVID, the average daily domestic air passenger number was 3,98,579. In a tweet on Monday, Scindia said domestic air passenger movement scales a new high post-COVID. As many as 4,44,845 passengers were flown by domestic airlines on Sunday.

"Yet another milestone! Indian civil continues to soar!," Scindia had said.

Currently, there are 147 operational airports in the country. The prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the newly-constructed airport at Shivamogga in Karnataka on February 27.

The country's aviation sector is on the recovery path after it was significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.