 "Scindia inaugurates Sindhudurg airport in Konkan region of Maharashtra")
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually inaugurated on Saturday the newly constructed Sindhudurg airport in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, according to an official statement.
The state's Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray graced the event virtually from the Sindhudurg airport as the guest of honour while Union Minister Narayan Rane was among the other dignitaries, said the statement.
Alliance Air, which is the regional arm of Air India, operated the inaugural flight from the Sindhudurg airport for Mumbai under the government's regional connectivity scheme UDAN.
The Sindhudurg airport has become the 14th such facility in the state.
"The inauguration of the Sindhudurg airport and start of the flight to Mumbai mark 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 the huge potential of the region, the number of daily flights will increase to 20-25 within the next five years," Scindia said in the statement.
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Developed by IRB Sindhudurg Airport, an SPV of IRB Infrastructure Developers, the greenfield (fresh) facility also known as the Chipi airport is spread over 275 hectares and has a 2,500-metre-long runway, which is capable for the operation of narrow-body aircraft like Airbus A-320 and Boeing B-737.
It will have a capacity to handle 200 departing and 200 arriving passengers during peak hours.
To date, 381 routes and 61 airports, including five heliports and two water aerodromes, have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme, as per the statement.
With the introduction of the air services on the route, the travel time between Sindhudurg and Mumbai, which is 10 hours now, will be reduced massively, the statement said.
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, it added.
These new flights will further add convenience and comfort to travellers creating a gateway for the people to easily access the Konkan region, it added.
The new services will facilitate the 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.
Alliance Air was awarded the Sindhudurg-Mumbai route under the UDAN 3.1.