Journalism of Courage
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari Sunday said that the expansion of the Lohegaon airport would suffice demands only for the next three to five years. He added, “A new airport is imperative in the present situation. I believe the state government is doing its best to acquire land.” However, there was no positive outcome on the discussion over the site for the newly proposed international airport.
The Lohegaon airport expansion was the focus of Gadkari’s meeting in the city on Sunday.
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According to officials, a visit by the MADC and civil aviation officials has been fixed on November 1 to discuss the new airport. The CM is also set to convene a meeting on the same issue. The new airport will need 1200 hectares and the runaways have to be east-west.
Villagers were opposed to the locations that had been proposed earlier for the new airport. Also, there were issues of clearances from AAI.
The proposed site was shifted from Chakan to Khed and again to Chakan. Now, the district administration is looking at new sites so that the project can be taken forward to ease the load at the Lohegaon defence airport.
