On Tuesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal for the Phase-I development of a new greenfield airport located in Dholera, Gujarat.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,305 crore. The officials said that the construction of the airport would be completed within 48 months. Additionally, the airport will serve as a second airport to Ahmedabad. However, it is important to note that the move comes ahead of the assembly elections to be held in Gujarat this year. The project will be implemented by Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL), a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Government of Gujarat (GoG), and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT), equity is divided in the ratio of 51:33:16. In a statement, the cabinet said that the New Greenfield Airport at Dholera is located at an aerial distance of 80 km from the Ahmedabad Airport. It is planned for operationalisation from 2025-to 26. The initial passenger traffic will approximately be 3 lakh passengers per annum and is expected to grow to almost 23 lakh in the upcoming 20 years. The annual cargo traffic from the year 2025-to 26 is estimated to be 20,000 tonne, which will rise to 2,73,000 tonne in the upcoming 20 years. The Union Cabinet also discussed the agreement among the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states regarding the cooperation in the field of youth work. Image Source
