KESHOD, Apr 16: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said his ministry was working to improve air connectivity between Gujarat and the country’s financial capital Mumbai.
He was in Keshod in the state’s Junagadh district to inaugurate the upgraded airport and flag off an Alliance Air flight to Mumbai under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN scheme.
He said Keshod airport was set up by the then Nawab of Junagadh in 1930 and was lying unused before Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to revive it.
Revived by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at an investment of Rs 25 crore, the airport at Keshod will see its first flight connecting it to Mumbai, with Scindia adding that Keshod will soon get connected by air to Ahmedabad as well.
“In the coming days, we plan to provide maximum connectivity to Gujarat,” Scindia said at the programme attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and State Civil Aviation Minister Purnesh Modi.
“When on March 27, I announced the summer schedule, three new flights from Ahmedabad, to Amritsar, Agra, and Ranchi, were announced. At the same time, we have connected Porbandar and Rajkot with Mumbai. We are connecting every corner of Gujarat with the country’s financial capital,” he said.
He said two greenfield airports will be developed in Gujarat, with an annual capacity of 25 lakh and 30 lakh passengers respectively.
Scindia said apart from two greenfield airports, five new flights, flights from Mumbai and Ahmedabad to Keshod, his ministry was present to fulfill the demands of the CM and the state civil aviation minister related to air connectivity.
From April 27, a flight connecting Porbandar with New Delhi will start operating, Scindia announced.
The Union civil aviation ministry had taken steps that were not taken in 75 years of the country and had “democratized” flights by making it affordable for even common people to board them, Scindia said. (PTI)
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