Senior IAS Officer Vipin Kumar Takes Charge As Chairman of Airports Authority of India

New Delhi: Vipin Kumar, an IAS officer of 1996 batch, Bihar cadre took over as Chairman of Airports Authority of India on Monday.

Prior to this appointment, Kumar was serving as Additional Secretary,Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

In a post on X, Airport Authority of India welcomed the new chairman and said, “The Airports Authority of India extends a warm welcome to Vipin Kumar, IAS, as he assumed the charge of Chairman AAI, today. With his profound experience and visionary leadership, he is poised to steer the organisation towards unprecedented heights and progressive milestones.”

 Who is IAS Officer Vipin Kumar?

Vipin Kumar, who previously served as the Chairman of the Bihar Bridge Construction Corporation, Managing Director of the Bihar Milk Cooperative Federation (SUDHA), and Director of the Mid-Day Scheme in Bihar, holds a degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering.

In his new role as Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Kumar will spearhead initiatives aimed at achieving AAI's objectives, including the development of world-class airport infrastructure, enhancement of air navigation services, and the provision of exceptional passenger amenities nationwide. His leadership will be crucial in advancing the Indian aviation sector in line with the Prime Minister's vision for Viksit Bharat-2047.

AAI Manages 133 Airports

Established by an Act of Parliament, the Airports Authority of India came into existence on April 1, 1995, through the merger of the former National Airports Authority and the International Airports Authority of India. This merger created a unified organization responsible for the creation, upgrading, maintenance, and management of civil aviation infrastructure both on the ground and in the airspace.

Currently, AAI manages 133 airports, of which 110 are operational, while the remaining 23 are non-operational. The operational airports include 28 civil enclaves and 8 airports under private management (2 joint venture airports and 6 public-private partnership airports on long-term leases). Among the 110 operational airports, 35 facilitate international flights.

AAI oversees air navigation services across 2.8 million square nautical miles of airspace. In the fiscal year 2023-24, AAI managed aircraft movements totaling 10,53,960 (including 1,03,750 international and 9,50,210 domestic), handled 130.67 million passengers (15.09 million international and 115.58 million domestic), and processed 688.38 thousand metric tons of freight (338.85 thousand metric tons international and 349.53 thousand metric tons domestic).