Bhopal, Nov 1 (IANS) Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Saturday lauded Madhya Pradesh’s growing potential in the aviation sector, announcing that work on the proposed airport in Ujjain has already begun.

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu said that Ujjain, the religious city of Madhya Pradesh which attracts pilgrims and tourists from across the country throughout the year, needed an airport not only to provide better connectivity for visitors but also to pave the way for economic progress and development in the region.

Naidu made the announcement while addressing the Madhya Pradesh government’s programme ‘Abhyuday Madhya Pradesh’ held on the occasion of the state’s 70th Foundation Day in Bhopal on Saturday. The Minister was in the state to launch the ‘PM Shri Helicopter’ scheme aimed at boosting the tourism sector.

The Union Minister also announced that the Civil Aviation Ministry is all set to start a 70-seater aircraft service from Rewa to Indore and New Delhi. He stated that all mandatory procedures for the launch of the new air service have been completed.

Notably, Rewa Airport was virtually inaugurated on October 20, 2024, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last week, an ATR-72 aircraft operated by Alliance Air successfully conducted a trial landing at the airport.

A senior official in the Madhya Pradesh government told IANS that two new flights, operated by IndiGo and Alliance Air, will soon begin operations from Rewa Airport. The state government will issue the ‘Letter of Award’ to both companies during a function to be organised on the state’s Foundation Day.

Currently, Madhya Pradesh has a total of nine airports — operational in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Khajuraho — while airports in Rewa, Satna, Datia, and Panna are yet to become fully operational.

Addressing the event, Naidu further shared that India currently has around 800 aircraft, a number expected to rise to 2,500 in the coming years.

“Different aircraft service providers in the country have collectively placed orders for 1,700 new aircraft, which is the largest single procurement in the world. At present, we have an adequate number of airports, but there is a shortage of aircraft, especially smaller ones. Once these new aircraft begin arriving, air services in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will increase significantly,” Union Minister Naidu added.

The Union Minister further stated that in the last 11 years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, 90 new airports have been developed across India — averaging one airport every 45 days.

–IANS

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