Work on the new Greenfield Dholera International Airport (DIAC) is set to begin soon after the first Board Meeting of the Dholera International Airport Company (DIACL) held held recently decided to expedite the process.

DIACL is a JV between the Airports Authority of India, Government of Gujarat and National Industrial Corridor Development & Implementation Trust  (NICDIT). This was its first Board Meeting of the reconstituted Board, after the Airports Authority of India picked up 51 per cent equity stake in the company. The Board Meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, at Gandhinagar.

Along with the Board Meeting, a project review meeting was also held, which was attended by senior officials of Airports Authority of India. The meeting focused on the plans to implement the construction of the airport project on a fast-track basis. Officials from the Airports Authority of India provided the necessary technical inputs to the concerned state departments as per the requirements of the new greenfield airport. They also requested the state departments to provide requisite support for infrastructure such as road connectivity, electricity supply, water supply, flood mitigation work and earth reclamation.

MK Das, Principal Secretary, Industries & Mines Department assured the officials of the Airports Authority of India about full support from all state departments.

The airport is set to come up in a greenfield city under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project at Dholera and will be built over four years. The existing airport at Ahmedabad already has heavy traffic and needed an alternative. Also, with Dholera slated to be the next growth centre for the state, it required a robust transport infrastructure. Considering these factors, Honarable Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani had given directions for implementation of the new airport project and asked officials to expedite the process.

Development of this greenfield airport is not just likely to improve connectivity but will also become a catalyst for growth of the greenfield city. It will give a further boost to the Dholera SIR project, improve connectivity and create jobs. The airport is being jointly developed by the Airports Authority of India, Government of Gujarat and the NICDIT with 51 per cent, 33 per cent and 16 per cent stakes, respectively.