A team from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) today inspected the site of the proposed cargo and passenger Green Field airport near Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) in Ahmedabad district.
"A seven-member AAI team today visited the proposed site for green field airport at Dholera," Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) real estate committee chairman Vijay Shah said.
Shah had met the team yesterday as a representative of the Chamber and briefed them about the requirements of the new airport in the Ahmedabad district as the existing airport here has no potential for expansion, he said.
The team, with AAI general manager R Rajshekhar as its co-ordinator, will also conduct techno-economical feasibility
study for the proposed airport and would submit the report to the ministry of civil aviation, he said, adding the team will
study traffic potential, size of airport, cost of infrastructure and run-way orientation.
A senior government official in the chief minister's office confirmed the visit of the AAI team to Ahmedabad for Dholera airport survey.
The Gujarat government has already earmarked 1,700 hectares of land for the proposed airport, nearly 85 kilometres from here.
"Many companies in sector like logistics, chemicals and dyes etc.. have proposed to set up their units in Dholera SIR, which makes it a relevant site for setting up an airport," Shah said.
Moreover, Dholera falls near the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), where a lot of investment is expected once the project is completed, Shah said. Highlighting the potential for opening another airport in Ahmedabad district, Shah said "In a span of eight years, Gujarat has got Foreign Direct Investment to the tune of $348 billion and ten years down the line this will increase manifold due to the DMIC."
Nearly 21.5 per cent of the industry in Gujarat is situated in and around Ahmedabad district which contributes to 17 per cent of the total revenue collection of the state and 18 per cent of the jobs generated. With the kind of investment proposed, it is expected to grow manifold in the days to come, he said.
The AAI initiated the feasibility study for the second airport after the state government forwarded a proposal to the civil aviation ministry, sources said.
The authority is expected to submit its report to the ministry, after collecting all relevant data, which is a pre-requisite before issuance of in-principle nod for the airport by the Centre, sources said.
