MIDC to upgrade air strips

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is upgrading the airstrips it owns in various parts of the state.

It will also make available night landing facilities at these air strips by spending around Rs 25 to Rs 30 crore.

These sites include Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Solapur, Nanded, Latur and Yavatmal. These airstrips are part of the MIDC parks at these locations and the air strip at Kolhapur is being used currently for commercial flights. Deccan Airways is operating flights between Belgaum, Kolhapur and Mumbai on a daily basis.

Besides this, MIDC is holding talks with Deccan Airways to bring Solapur and Latur also on the air map of the country and start flight to Mumbai from these destinations.

Speaking with Business Standard, MIDC's chief executive officer (CEO) Rajiv Jalota said, "We are currently in the process of appointing a consultant who will advice us on how to exploit these assets as we don't have any expertise in the aviation industry."

"Currently, we are loosing nearly Rs 90 lakh every year in operating the Kolhapur air strip but we believe this money is well spent as it is giving a boost to industrial growth in the area. The Kagal textile park near Kolhapur is almost full thanks to easy access to the area from Mumbai," said Jalota.

"We feel that to give impetus to industrial growth in all the regions of the state and not just Mumbai-Pune-Nashik triangle, it is necessary to provide air connectivity," Jalota added.

"We also want to use one of these air strips for opening an aviation school. Currently, the Indian aviation industry is facing a tremendous crunch of trained pilots and opening such an academy in the state has a great future," Jalota said.

"However, everything will depend upon what advice we receive from the consultant," he clarified.

Besides MIDC, the Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation (MADC) is also in the process of developing airports at the popular pilgrimage site Shirdi and Jalgaon, the industrial and commercial hub of northern Maharashtra.