Airport expansion issue to be resolved with State Govt’s cooperation: Scindia

Aurangabad, May 10:

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that efforts would be made to resolve Chikalthana International Airport expansion issue with the help of the State Government.

He was speaking at an important meeting organised at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Union Minister of the State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad led the meeting in which different issues including the expansion of Chikalthana Airport, parking for planes at night, additional flights in the morning session, connectivity with other cities ‘Udan’ scheme and immigration facility.

Jyotiraditya Scindia said that an immigration facility can also be made available with the expansion of the airport.

“Discussions will be held with Home Ministry for the immigration facility. We will try to find out a solution to the other demands,” he said.

Scindia also issued instructions to enhance flight connectivity with divisions and decide their route.

Industrialist Mukund Kulkarni gave a PowerPoint presentation on the expansion of the airport.

Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA) president Shivprasad Jaju, its vice-president Nitin Gupta, Utsav Machhar, Dushyant Athavle, Abhishek Modani, Pritish Chaterjee of Aurangabad First, Vivek Deshpande, joint secretary of Immigration Department Sumant Singh,

Drugs Controller General of India Dr V G Somani, chief executive officer of Airport Authority Ajaykumar Bharadwaj, executive director Vivekanand Choure, FlyBig Managing Director Sanjay Mandavia, Sanjay Kenekar and Bhagwan Ghadmode were present.

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The delegation demanded that the expansion should be done considering industrial estate development in the next 25 years. “There were 17 flights from the city before Covid wave. The number of flights has come down much. The number of increased and efforts should be done for new flights. A night parking facility can be done at the airport. The commencement of the immigration facility will encourage international flights. There is a need to hold talks with the officers of the Home Department for immigration facility and launching cargo service,” the delegation members said.