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India launches inspection of 400 ‘uncontrolled airstrips’ post-Ajit Pawar tragedy
An aviation advisor said these measures should be implemented by state governments and would cost no more than ₹200,000 (Dh8,125) per strip to ensure safety
- PUBLISHED: Mon 9 Feb 2026, 12:32 PM
India’s civil aviation ministry has launched a nationwide inspection of 400 ‘uncontrolled airstrips’ in the country, following the crash of an aircraft at one such strip in Baramati, killing Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others last month.
According to media reports, officials from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have started examining the practices and safety control at category A airports, where no air traffic control (ATC) service is provided.
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The 400 airstrips in this category are managed by state governments, private operators or flight training organisations, with the aviation regulator not having any command over them.
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“Existing guidelines for such airstrips do not fall under DGCA’s purview. The regulator, in coordination with the states, will evolve a system so that the status and safety standards of these airports are known to the civil aviation authority," Hindustan Times quoted an unnamed civil aviation official.
Airports in India come under four categories. They include top airports, including Delhi and Mumbai (in category D); category C airports (in smaller cities); category B (in smaller towns); and category A, where the official bodies do not have a presence.
But following the crash in Baramati, the regulator has decided to conduct a probe into the functioning of the 400 uncontrolled airstrips, checking the infrastructure gaps, communications, firefighting readiness and coordination with local authorities.
The paper quoted an international aviation expert, emphasising the importance of state governments to ensure basic infrastructure at these airports. “All landing strips, whether grass, unpaved, dirt tracks or even cricket and football fields used in remote areas must have basic infrastructure, including a windsock, a small weather station to record temperature, dew point, wind direction, cloud base and barometric pressure, and mandatory CCTV surveillance,” said Mark Martin, founder of aviation advisory firm Martin Consultancy.
“These measures, which should be implemented by state governments, would cost no more than ₹200,000 (Dh8,125) per strip and ensure a basic level of oversight," Martin added, as he also called for monthly checks by state safety inspectors to ensure all equipment at these airstrips is functioning and safe.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently noted that the country had just 70 airports in 2014; it has now shot up to over 160. By 2047, the country is expected to have 400 airports.
