KOLHAPUR: Member of parliament, Dhananjay Mahadik, said that the required clearances for trials at the Kolhapur Airport were not completed as he could not meet the civil aviation minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
Mahadik is pressing to get final clearances for the proposed airport, which is in demand from various sectors including businessmen, tourists and industrialists. "Civil aviation minister Raju is on tour, so we could not get the two pending clearances from the director general of civil aviation and the ministry. The rest of the 20 clearances have already been obtained," the MP said. He earlier said that the clearances will be obtained before Independence Day, depending on the civil aviation minister's appointment.
In July, the minister of state for civil aviation G M Siddeshwara had said that his ministry had finalized a list of 50 airports across the country. These airports had a potential to be converted as 'low cost' airports and the Kolhapur Airport is a part of this list. Once clearances are obtained, the civil aviation ministry will order trials of planes at the airport. A detailed report on the basis of the trials will be submitted for a final approval for the airport's functioning.
The airport will not only be a landing and take-off port, but will have a refueling facility and night parking. Both services will bring additional revenue to the airport and funds can be used for airport expansion to cater to planes with more than 300 passenger-carrying capacity such as the Boeing777 or Airbus. One-night parking charges are as high as Rs 1.50 lakh per plane. The amount is significant and with more planes availing this facility, the earnings will increase, he said.
Kolhapur: Due to non-availability of union civil aviation minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, the required clearances for trials at Kolhapur Airport could not be completed, said member of parliament Dhananjay Mahadik. The member of parliament is pressing for getting final clearances for the proposed airport, which is in demand from various sectors including businessmen, tourists and industrialists.
Mahadik said, "Civil aviation minister Raju is on tour; hence we could not get the pending two clearances from Director General Civil Aviation and the ministry. Rest of the 20 clearances have been obtained already."
Earlier, he had said that the clearances will be obtained before the independence day provided civil aviation minister's appointment.
The minister of state for civil aviation G M Siddeshwara in July this year had confirmed that his ministry has finalized a list of 50 airports in the country which has a potential to be converted as 'low cost', airports and Kolhapur is one of them.
Once the clearances are obtained, the civil aviation ministry will order some trials of planes at the Kolhapur airport. A detailed report on the basis of trials will be submitted to get final approval for the functioning of the airport.
The airport will not only be a landing and take-off port, but it will have refuelling facility and night parking. Both the services will bring additional revenue to the Kolhapur airport and the funds can be utilized for further expansion to cater planes with more than 300 passenger carrying capacity such as Boeing777 or Airbus.
One night parking charges are as high as Rs 1.50 lakh per plane. The amount is significant and with more planes getting parking facility at Kolhapur, the earning can also go up, he said.