AAI to construct Greenfield Airport in Gujarat's Dholera, gets CCEA approval

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the proposal to build phase one of a greenfield airport in Dholera, Gujarat, in 48 months at a cost of Rs 1,305 crore. The CCEA is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Dholera airport will receive passenger and cargo traffic from the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) and is expected to become a major cargo hub serving the industrial region, according to a press release from the Centre.

This airport will also cater to the nearby region and serve as a second airport to Ahmedabad, it said.

"The project is being implemented by Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL), which is a joint venture company comprising Airports Authority of India (AAI), Government of Gujarat (GoG) and National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) holding equity in the ratio of 51:33:16," it noted.

Also read: Youth Congress workers raise slogans on IndiGo flight, matter under investigation

The greenfield airport is situated at an aerial distance of 80 km from Ahmedabad airport, it said. "The airport is planned for operationalisation from the year 2025-26, and initial passenger traffic is estimated to be 3 lakh passengers per annum, expected to grow to 23 lakh over a period of 20 years," it mentioned.

The annual cargo traffic is also estimated from the year 2025-26 at 20,000 tonnes, which would increase to 2,73,000 tonnes over a period of 20 years, it noted.

With inputs from PTI