Due to the sporadic use, the infrastructure at most of these airstrips has deteriorated over the years, with an exception being the Saifai (Etawah) airstrip, which was upgraded by the Mulayam Singh Yadav government and was regularly used by him and his relatives. 

Under the present agreement, a private investor is required to pay Rs 3 lakh per year for initial five years to the government, after which the contract will be renewed with a 50 per cent hike in the charges. The state government is providing the airstrips, hangars and terminal buildings to the investors on a 30-year lease. The government has also allowed them to undertake further construction on the premises and add facilities required for setting up of institutes.

Besides the three companies that have started functioning in Aligarh, six proposals from India Pacific, Chawla, Flytech, Manpower Solutions Pvt Ltd, Sultan Education Society and Saraswati Educational Society are lying with the state government for other airstrips.

“The Saraswati Educational Society has opted for the Sultanpur airstrip and is getting the runway renovated as per the DGCA guidelines. The airstrip will soon become operational,” said a senior officer of the State Civil Aviation department.

He added that the general recession in the market has affected the progress on other proposals.