Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the Mahayuti government of doing ‘Stuntbaazi’ by conducting a trial landing of an Indian Air Force aircraft C-295 at the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The UBT leader said that the IAF C295 aircraft can land on short and unpaved runways, alleging that the airport terminal is not ready for commercial use yet and the government was rushing with the trial in view of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly election.
"I believe that first of all, we, the political parties, should apologise to Air Force because they have been pulled into BJP’s ‘stuntbaazi’ many a time, be it Nitin Gadkari’s toll highways or C-295 aircraft which landed in Navi Mumbai today," said Thackeray.
"If the runaway was ready, then they would have inaugurated the entire airport" he added.
Earlier on Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with other leaders, witnessed the trial landing of the Indian Air Force C-295 aircraft at Navi Mumbai International Airport in Ulwe, being developed by the Adani Group, in the adjoining Raigad district of Maharashtra.
CM Shinde said that the state government was making efforts to start commercial operations from the airport ahead of the stated deadline of March 31, 2025.
"Today, an Indian Air Force C295 aircraft made a successful test landing at the runway at the Navi Mumbai International Airport. We are ready for both flight and fight," CM Shinde said in an apparent reference to the state assembly elections.