Maharashtra CM approves extension of Akola airport runway

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday directed extension of the runway of Akola airport in east Maharashtra. He also ordered setting up of a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) cell in the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd (MADC). MADC is a Special Purpose Company (SPC) constituted in
2002 by the state government to play a lead role in the planning and implementation of the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) project.

Devendra Fadnavis

MADC is also supposed to take up development of other airports in the state not managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Indian Air Force (IAF) in order to provide air connectivity between district headquarters and state Capital, Mumbai. The decisions to extend the Akola airport runway and setting up the RCS cell were taken by the chief minister at the 62nd meeting of the board of directors of the MADC here.

"The status of the greenfield international airport at Shirdi, along with the airports at Purandar, Amravati, Solapur, and Chandrapur, was reviewed in this meeting. Fadnavis directed for further extension of Shirdi airport. The chief minister also instructed extension of the runway of Akola airport," said a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The CM also reviewed the progress of UDAN, the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) and approved the establishment of an RCS cell in MADC. The airports in Maharashtra covered under RCS are Amravati, Gondia, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Nanded, Nashik, Solapur, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg. Fadnavis also approved a commercial complex at MIHAN project and appointment of a consultant for the same.

"(Issues like) development of an AIIMS campus in MIHAN, phase 2 of the Central facility building in MIHAN, construction of an approach road to Nagpur Ring Road, rehabilitating PAPs were also discussed at this meeting," it said.

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