Scindia requests CMs of 5 states to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has requested the chief ministers of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Odisha to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure such as land allocation for airports.

New Delhi:Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has requested the chief ministers of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Odisha to expedite matters related to aviation infrastructure such as land allocation for airports.

Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon the development and expansion of airports in the country at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore in the next four to five years in order to meet the growing passenger demand in the country, the Civil Aviation Ministry's statement said.

In a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Scindia said the AAI needs 152.5 acres of land for airport expansion work in the state and it is yet to be handed over by the state government.

Moreover, he told Vijayan that an amount of Rs 5.29 crore is outstanding on part of the state government as viability gap funding (VGF) shares against the Regional Air Connectivity Fund Trust (RACFT).

Under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN, financial incentives from the Centre, state governments, and airport operators are extended to select airlines to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports and keep airfares affordable.

In his letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Scindia said 20 acres of land is required at the Khajuraho airport for a basic runway strip and operational requirements, 110 acres of land is needed at the Gwalior airport for extension of the civil enclave and an additional 2,314 acre of land is required at the Indore Airport for the development of a second runway and associated infrastructure.

Scindia wrote to Maharasthra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that the AAI has a projected land requirement of 234.21 acres at Akola airport for the development of a basic runway strip and additional infrastructure.

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"Out of this only 149.95 acres has been handed over to AAI. The remaining 84.26 acres is yet to be handed over," he mentioned. The minister told Thackeray that 182 acres of land is required at the Aurangabad airport for a runway extension and parallel taxi track.

An amount of Rs 12.02 crore, he stated, is outstanding on part of the Maharashtra government as a VGF share for RACFT.

Scindia said the Maharashtra government may give their consent to provide 100 percent VGF support for International UDAN operations on Pune Dubai, Pune Bangkok, Pune Male, Pune Singapore, Pune Kathmandu and Pune Kuala Lumpur routes.

On receipt of the consent of the state government for 100 per cent VGF support, these routes will be put for bidding by the airlines, he added.

In his letter to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the minister said a land area of 107 acres is required for the extension of the runway at the Dimapur airport by 310 m for operations of A320 type of aircraft. Scindia wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that the AAI has a projected land requirement of 178 acres at the Jharsuguda airport for its phase-two expansion.

"The land is yet to be handed over," he added. Scindia said Jeypore and Utkela airports need to be developed at the earliest by the Odisha government for the operations of UDAN flights. "An amount of Rs 1.48 crores is outstanding on part of the state government as VGF share for RACFT," he stated.

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PTI