Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi-led government will set up 50 new airports in the country over the next three years. Raju told reporters that at least ten of those will become operational within the next one year, Mint reported.

The minister said the plan to set up the airports was part of the Centre’s overall objective to bolster regional connectivity. “The idea was to convert the wish list into a work list,” he added. The plan will involve both state and Union governments, with 80% of the cost of setting up an airport being borne by the former and the rest by the latter. The Centre will also issue subsidies for a period of three years. Raju later signed a memorandum of agreement for the development of regional airports with the Maharashtra government.

Analysts have said that the move, part of the new national civil aviation policy, is a positive one. Under the policy, regional fares will be capped at Rs 2,500 with the Centre helping airlines with funding, which will be generated through cesses on other non-regional domestic flights. “We believe regional connectivity will take off,” said Raju.