‘Cargo facility at Shirdi airport to promote agriculture exports’

The recently proposed cargo facility at Shirdi airport will help to boost agricultural exports from Ahmednagar and Western Maharashtra, said deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, on Wednesday

The recently proposed cargo facility at Shirdi airport will help to boost agricultural exports from Ahmednagar and Western Maharashtra, said deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, on Wednesday.

The Shirdi airport is managed by Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC). The work on the night landing facility is expected to finish by April end. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Pawar was on a one-day tour of Ahmednagar district. As the finance minister, he had proposed Rs150 crore for Shirdi airport in the Maharashtra budget 2022-23.

Pawar said, “We allotted Rs150 crore for Shirdi airport. The cargo facility will soon start at Shirdi airport. Currently, farmers need to export agricultural goods from Pune or Mumbai but within a few months the service will start from Shirdi.”

Pawar said, “The funds are allocated for erecting night landing facility at Shirdi which is in progress. It will help devotees to arrive at Shirdi at night time.”

The Shirdi airport is managed by Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC). The work on the night landing facility is expected to finish by April end.

“The work of night landing and runway expansion is in the final stages and it will be inspected by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) once it is completed. If DGCA approves the work without any changes then it could be operational from May 2022,” said the official on anonymity.

Shirdi airport is one of the busy airports as many devotees prefer to use flight service to rich Shirdi.