The Maharashtra Airport Development Authority (MADC) has decided to give the upcoming Shirdi airport a longer runway to accommodate big aircrafts.
But, the decision effectively means that the airport will miss its October 2011 deadline, which was announced by chief minister Ashok Chavan. The runway will be extended from 2,500 metres to 3,200 metres to cope with the burgeoning demand of bigger flights in the area.
The decision to extend the runway was taken at a meeting on Tuesday with the Shirdi Sai Baba Airport Charitable Trust. The chief minister, who chaired the meeting at the Mantralaya, was told by MADC officials that they have started getting inquiries from airlines, who want to begin operations to Shirdi at the earliest. The estimated services from the airport are 20 per day, and hence the proposal for a bigger runway was cleared.
Chavan, while approving the demand, also asked MADC to set a new deadline for the airport and complete the project on time. “The Rs380-crore project needs 400 acre of land, of which 300 acre has been acquired with help of the government aid of Rs40 crore.
The Shirdi Sansthan has agreed to pay Rs50 crore and money is also expected from donations. Almost all the permissions and formalities have been completed,” said Jayant Sasane, chairman, Shirdi Sansthan.
