Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates 'Greenfield Sindhudurg Airport'

In a bid to expand domestic Air travel, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually inaugurated the greenfield Sindhudurg airport in Maharashtra on Saturday, October 9. The Union Minister, who was joined by the Maharashtra Chief Minister as the guest of honour, also flagged off the first flight from Sindhudurg to Mumbai under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme launched by the Centre.

Speaking at the launch of the airport, the Civil Aviation Minister asserted that the airport has opened avenues for growth & development in the Konkan region and will further help them to expand local tourism in the area.

Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "The inauguration of the Sindhudurg airport and start of the flight to Mumbai marks a new chapter in the glorious history of the Konkan region. This development will open new avenues of growth of local trade and tourism. I am sure, with huge potential of the region, the number of daily flights will increase to 20-25 within next 5 years."

Along with the Maharashtra CM, other prominent ministers including, Minister of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and others also joined the event virtually.

Scindia says new flights will add convenience & comfort to passengers

According to the press release, he further added that this day is of great significance for all the Maharashtrians.

"The day is a momentous day for the people of Maharashtra as the inauguration pins the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra on the national air map. These new flights will further add convenience and comfort to travellers creating a gateway for the people to easily access the Konkan region noted for its pristine beaches, temples, and forts," Scindia remarked.

Civil Aviation Ministry also believes that the flights originating and landing at the newly inaugurated airport will help people travel across the country with utmost convenience. He said that the airport will provide a new horizon of additional connectivity.

 “These new flights will facilitate people of Sindhudurg not only in their travel to Mumbai but also opens the horizon of additional connectivity with other metro cities directly connected with Mumbai such as Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad. Moreover, the Sindhudurg airport is a good option for people travelling to North-Goa,” the press statement read.

Sindhudurg Airport increases connectivity to Mumbai

Greenfield Sindhudurg Airport, commonly known as Chipi Airport, is located in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district. The airport covers a total area of 275 hectares. The runway is 2500 metres long (8202 feet) and can accommodate narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A-320 and Boeing B-737. During peak hours, the airport terminal complex can handle 400 passengers overall.

The launch ceremony marked the start of the UDAN scheme's 61st airport and the successful implementation of UDAN's 381 routes. People may now travel with ease from Sindhudurg to Mumbai in an 85-minute flight, whereas previously, people were forced to travel by road or train, a journey of more than 10 hours.

Under the UDAN 3.1, the airline M/S Alliance Air was allocated the Sindhudurg – Mumbai route. This is the airline's 75th UDAN route in operation. Alliance Air will fly the route with its 70-seater ATR 72-600 aircraft.

The Centre, state governments, and airport operators are providing financial incentives to chosen airlines in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports under the plan. The UDAN plan has so far operationalized 381 routes and 61 airports, including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes.

(Inputs from Press Release) 

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