Gujarat plans 11 airport projects

Close on the heels of Maharashtra, which recently fixed about a dozen airport projects on radar, Gujarat has also signed an agreement with Central government to set-up 11 airports in the state to leg-up Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) envisaging improving un-served and underserved airports and runways in smaller towns. The memorandum signed in Gandhinagar, highlights that a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs. 500-cr annually is being created by the Centre for the scheme. The airports and runways included Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Keshod, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhuj, Kandla, Disa, and Mahesana districts of the state. For the development of the airstrips, the Union Government will fund about 80% and the state government will have to bear 20% contribution in the scheme, said an official spokesperson of the civil aviation ministry, recalling that in July 2016, ministry had announced National Civil Aviation Policy 2016, under which, Regional Connectivity Scheme has been executed by the Union Government for the development of Civil Aviation sector across the country.