Maharashtra plans airport at Shirdi

Mumbai: If the Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation's (MADC) plan materialises, by 2008 you could reach the Shirdi shrine in just 30 minutes from Mumbai.
MADC is firming up plans to develop an airport at Shirdi and various airlines have started queuing up to start their services in the sector. First off the block is Air Deccan, which is keen to start daily flights from Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Jet and Indian have also evinced interest in servicing the sector, said MADC Chairman R C Sinha. Sinha said some NRI businessmen had shown interest in operating daily charters between Dubai and Shirdi.
"We have appointed L&T as consultant to prepare a plan for developing the airport. Acording to the preliminary estimates, the project will cost around Rs 48 crore." Sinha said.
"The Airport will require around 400 hectares of land, out of which nearly 300 hectares is in our possession. Though currently the land is with different government corporations, the state government has decided to transfer the land to us. This means we have to acquire only 100 hectares," he said.
14/04/06 Makarand Gadgil/Business Standard

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