State signs MOU with Centre, AAI to develop ten airports

MUMBAI: A day after the state government approved the plan of ten smaller airports in the state, the Maharashtra government signed a Memorandum of Understanding

MUMBAI: A day after the state government approved the plan of ten smaller airports in the state, the Maharashtra government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the civil aviation ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The airports will be developed under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

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Besides various exemptions and incentives offered under the civil aviation policy as part of the RCS, the state government has offered a viability-gap funding in the ratio of 80:20, free land for the revival of the airports. The state has also announced it will offer roads, railway, metro and waterways and fire and police services free of cost. The VAT on the air-turbine fuel for the airports will be charged at 1%.

Shirdi, Amravati, Gondiya, Nashik, Jalgaon, Nanded, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are the ten airports picked for the scheme. The state government said it will begin operations at the Shirdi airport from November this year.

Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, civil aviation secretary RN Chaubey and the officials from various departments of the state government were present on the occasion. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said it was a matter of pride that Maharashtra was first state to sign an MoU under the scheme. He said that the aviation scene in the state will move to the next level.