Rajkot: Senior BJP leader and former union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy stated on Saturday that simply declaring an airport as international does not guarantee the start of international flight operations. He was in Rajkot to explain the Union Budget’s provisions.

During a press conference on the Union Budget, Rudy highlighted that the number of flights at any airport is determined by the market dynamics of supply and demand. He noted that Jayprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna has held international status for 17 years but has yet to see any international flights.

Regarding the designation of Rajkot airport as an international facility, Rudy stated, “The circumstances in the aviation sector may have been different when the airport was declared international,” noting that there is a shortage of aircraft.

“After the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, the number of airworthy aircraft has fallen in India because a lot of engines have developed fault… Airlines don’t have sufficient aircraft and this could be due to this service issue with engines” Rudy said.

Rudy explained that there is a shortage due to the Russia-Ukraine war, as Russia is the biggest supplier of titanium, which is needed to manufacture aircraft.

As a former Union civil aviation minister from 2003 to 2004, Rudy pointed out that since 1980, 14 airlines have launched in India, yet only four remain operational. “Airlines will begin operations only where there is demand,” he added. DeshGujarat