Airport gears up to strengthen air connectivity; welcome arrivals of jumbo aircrafts

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

A total of 139 acres of land will be acquired for the expansion of the Chikalthana Airport. On Tuesday, a government resolution approved the disbursement of ₹87.82 crore to the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) for land acquisition. The expansion will primarily involve increasing the runway length, making the airport ready for the operation of larger aircraft.

The path for expansion of the airport has finally been cleared. The expansion will take place over 56.25 hectares (139 acres) in Chikalthana, Mukundwadi and Murtizapur. For acquiring this land and for the total expenditure of ₹578.45 crore, administrative and financial approval had been granted via a government resolution in November 2023. Funds are being received in phases. As the financial pathway is now open, the expansion is expected to gain momentum, and the land acquisition process is likely to be completed in the new year.

Once the runway expansion is complete, aircraft with higher capacity will be able to land here, which will significantly improve the city’s air connectivity. After expansion, international flights as well as larger passenger aircraft will be able to operate. This is expected to strengthen air traffic in Marathwada and boost opportunities for investment and tourism.

Runway Status…

The airport’s runway is currently 9,300 feet long. At present, small and medium-sized aircraft operate from here.

Jumbo jets, which carry more passengers, require a runway length of 12,000 feet.

Accordingly, a proposal has been made to extend the runway to 12,000 feet, for which 2,700 feet of additional land is required. A new 825-meter stretch of runway will be constructed.

Land acquisition notice to be issued

“The land acquisition notice under Section 19A will be issued next week. After that, the acquisition process will begin,” said sub-divisional & land acquisition officer Venkat Rathod.