UPSC CSE Prelims
Transport Sector Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 and 2 only

Donyi Polo Airport (Itanagar) and Kushinagar International Airport are both greenfield projects, meaning they were constructed from scratch on previously undeveloped land. Donyi Polo Airport was inaugurated in 2022, while Kushinagar International Airport began operations in 2021. Vijayawada International Airport, however, is an existing airport that has undergone expansion and modernization over the years, making it a brownfield project rather than a greenfield one.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Donyi Polo Airport is a greenfield project built on undeveloped land in Arunachal Pradesh and inaugurated in 2022.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Kushinagar International Airport is a greenfield project constructed on new land in Uttar Pradesh and inaugurated in 2021.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Vijayawada International Airport is a decades-old airport that has been expanded and modernized, not a greenfield project.

📝 Short Notes: Greenfield vs Brownfield Airport Projects in India

• Greenfield Projects: New airports built from scratch on previously undeveloped land, without any existing infrastructure. These require complete planning, land acquisition, and construction.
• Brownfield Projects: Expansion, modernization, or redevelopment of existing airports with established infrastructure and operational facilities.
• Donyi Polo Airport: Located in Hollongi near Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh; inaugurated on November 19, 2022; the state's first airport; built to enhance connectivity in the Northeast.
• Kushinagar International Airport: Located in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh; inaugurated on October 20, 2021; significant for Buddhist pilgrimage tourism; first international flight carried Sri Lankan pilgrims.
• Vijayawada Airport: Operational since 1940s; upgraded to international status; located in Gannavaram; serves Andhra Pradesh's capital region.
• Other Recent Greenfield Airports: Pakyong Airport (Sikkim - 2018), Kannur International Airport (Kerala - 2018), Shirdi Airport (Maharashtra - 2017), and Durgapur Airport (West Bengal - 2013).
• UDAN Scheme: Many new and upgraded airports are part of the government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN - Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) launched in 2016 to improve air connectivity to tier-2 and tier-3 cities.