For the first time in the country, a group of farmers have pooled their land and are offering over 500 acres to the state government for setting up an airport under the public-private partnership initiative. |
In return, they want equity in the airport company. The state government has agreed to the proposal. |
The planned airport would have just enough space for small jets like the ATRs to land and take off. Maharashtra Civil Aviation Secretary Sanjay Ubale said the state government was considering the proposal. |
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the national civil aviation conference in New Delhi today. |
West Bengal Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty proposed a new cargo hub near Kolkata on the lines of what Union Aviation Minister Praful Patel is planning to build in Nagpur. |
He also announced major expansion plans for Kolkata airport. "We plan to construct an air cargo hub within a 40-60 km radius of Kolkata and its airport," said Chakraborty. |
The officials from Kerala who attended the conference proposed a national pilot training institute at Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy in Thiruvananthapuram. |
They said the state government would soon finalise a new project report on establishing a state carrier, Kerala Airline, and submit a report on the modernisation of the airport in the state capital. |