Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh): Travelling in an aeroplane is cheaper than taking an auto rickshaw, claimed Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha.

Explaining how is it lesser, Sinha said, "Today airfare is less than that of an auto-rickshaw. You will ask how is that possible? When two people take an auto-rickshaw they pay a fare of Rs 10 which means they're charged Rs 5 per kilometer but when you go by air you are charged Rs 4 per kilometer."

The minister speaking at the inaugural event of the new domestic terminal building of Gorakhpur Airport, further said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the aviation sector saw maximum development, adding that the number of people commuting via airplane has increased two-folds in 2018.

"Till 2013, approximately only six crore people were traveling in airplanes, but now the figures have improved. At present, as many as 12 crore people residing across the country are using airlines as a mode of transport. Earlier there were only 75 airports but today there are as many as 100 airports which are operational all over India," he was quoted by news agency ANI.

Sinha assured the people of Gorakhpur that soon, Indigo, an airline firm, would launch around 5 to 10 flights in the near future so that locals can travel with ease to nearby cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Allahabad, in a bid to improve connectivity to and from Gorakhpur.