AAI will invest ₹15,000 crore by 2028 to upgrade air traffic control tower automation, navigational systems and other critical infrastructure to make them future-ready, its chairman Vipin Kumar said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Wings India 2026, Kumar said India’s largest airport operator is expected to post revenues of ₹22,000 crore in the current financial year, the same as last year.
"For the upgradation, we have assessed every airport, each ATC tower and every technical power system—what systems are required, how old they are and their remaining life. Based on this, we have prepared a roadmap involving an investment of ₹15,000 crore, which will be completed by the end of 2028," he said.
1 January 2026
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Kumar said Airports Authority of India has already floated tenders for several projects, while others are in the process.
"We are confident that by the end of 2028, the ATC tower automation and navigation systems will be future-ready and aligned with global standards," he added.
Replying to a query, Kumar said the entire investment would be funded through internal accruals.
He noted that airport operators typically invest around ₹8,000 crore annually as capital expenditure.
He also said AAI had a one-time advantage of ₹2,000 crore last year, adding that the projected revenue of ₹22,000 crore this year should be viewed as growth.
