Need to make Navi Mumbai airport operational soon: Civil Aviation Minister

• Posted in Aviation
• on May 18, 2017
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Infrastructure constraints and congestion of the only functional runway at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) could limit the capacity of the airport to add flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju said Tuesday. He stressed the need for making Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) operational at the earliest. Raju was in Mumbai to inaugurate an AAI building at Vile Parle. In an interaction with reporters, he said a city like Mumbai surely needed a second airport.
“A lot of airlines have shown interest in operating services under RCS — the flagship scheme of the government to connect under-served airports. Along with 70 airports at present, 33 more airports will be commercially connected under the scheme. Among the new airports to be operational, I am waiting for the quick inauguration of Shirdi airport, which will soon commence operations,” Raju said.
While the ministry had asked for 20 slots for operation of flights under the RCS, the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has agreed to part with eight slots. Among them, two slots will be taken by TrueJet airline to connect Mumbai and Nanded, while the rest will be used by SpiceJet connecting Mumbai to Kandla and Porbandar. Mike Green Jersey

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