Airports Authority allocates Rs 10 cr more for Surat airport

In order to develop Surat airport as an international airport and improve the existing infrastructure, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has allotted a further Rs 10 crore to the existing 37 crore upgradation plan.

AAI has made provision for the additional fund for developing the Surat airport, said chairman Ramalingam, during a meeting with the Mehsana MP and Surat industrialist Jiva Patel.

"AAI had earlier made a provision of Rs 37 crore for upgrading the existing infrastructure at the Surat airport. Work on runway and other facilities are progressing well and the airport should be ready for handling air traffic soon. The additional fund would be utilised for improving existing infrastructure and to develop it as an international airport," patel said.

Patel also said tender for new terminal building at Surat airport would be opened tomorrow and construction work would be started at the earliest. AAI has also asked the contractors to increase the pace at which the runway related works are being carried out, he added.

Surat, the hub of Indian textile and diamond industries, does not exist on the countries air traffic map. Flight services to Mumbai, that had started last year, had to be wound up on account of poor infrastructure at the Surat airport. The demand for a proper airport at Surat is a long-pending demand of the trade & industry of the region.