Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the Nagpur airport will emerge as the growth engine for Vidarbha and central India, especially with significant investments pouring into Nagpur and its surrounding areas across sectors such as maintenance command, auto-aviation, and defence aviation manufacturing.
He expressed confidence that, along with these industries, the development of agriculture, tourism, and other sectors will gain momentum, establishing Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagpur Airport as the economic growth engine for Nagpur, Vidarbha, and central India.
He was speaking at the function to hand over the airport to GMR Company, organised at the Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagpur Airport premises. The event was held in the special presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and former civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
Fadnavis stated that while new airports are being built across the country, the government has resolved to make Nagpur Airport larger and more beautiful. Tenders were floated for this in 2018. In 2019, GMR Company qualified as the eligible bidder. However, petitions were filed in the High Court and the Supreme Court regarding this matter, and eventually, a positive verdict was delivered.
He added that continuous follow-ups were made with the central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended full support to this project, and the Union Cabinet approved it. On Thursday, the airport was formally handed over to GMR for modernisation, expansion, and development.
He added that two terminals and two runways are essential for handling passenger and cargo traffic at this airport. With this handover, the decks have now been cleared. The airport has excellent connectivity via metro trains and roads. With the airport's expansion in mind, parallel work is underway to ensure seamless connectivity in the near future.
He expressed his expectation that the work over the next year should bring about an unprecedented transformation in the beauty and facilities for incoming passengers, aiming to complete the entire airport project by 2029. He assured that the state government will provide land for the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), along with all necessary cooperation.
Fadnavis also noted that the industrial development taking place in Nagpur, its surrounding areas, and Vidarbha will greatly benefit neighbouring states such as Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, making this airport pivotal to the economic growth of the entire region.
Terming the handover of Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport to the GMR Company as a historic milestone, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that, along with excellent air travel facilities for passengers of Nagpur and central India, exports will receive a massive boost through the cargo hub.
Gadkari noted that Nagpur is not only a centrally located city but also provides connectivity to all four major metro cities of the country within hours. Since Nagpur is also recognised as a Logistics Capital Hub, the requirements for airport development and a second runway will be fulfilled through this handover.
He further stated that the region surrounding Nagpur city features tiger reserves with a population of more than 350 tigers, attracting domestic and international tourists. This airport will give a major fillip to regional tourism. He further mentioned that a large repository of mineral wealth is available around Nagpur, which will accelerate the development of mineral-based industries in the area.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu stated that this occasion is not merely a handover of Nagpur Airport, but a literal "takeoff" for the development of Vidarbha. The airport will transition from being a mere transit point to a major hub for industrial development.
He said that, along with passenger transport, a cargo hub will be established here, opening new avenues of growth for Vidarbha through this airport. Expressing confidence in the airport's expansion, he stated that the current annual passenger capacity of 30 lakh will increase to 60 lakh in the near future, with the ultimate goal of reaching 3 crore passengers.
He also emphasised that priority will be given to launching direct flight services from Nagpur to global destinations, including Dubai, Singapore, Europe, and the United States.