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Kolhapur airport to start flights to Tirupati and Hyderabad soon

New Delhi: Kolhapur Airport which was renamed as Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Airport earlier this year, recorded passenger footfall of 21,000 in the last five months. The airport handled 620 flight operations in that time period. The airport began operations in April 2018 and authorities believe that the footfall number is a good sign considering the fact that it has recorded such number in just 5 months.

It may be noted that the airport handled about 116 non-scheduled flight operations which carried 327 passengers. According to the airport director, the numbers could have been more if flight operations between Kolhapur and Bengaluru had not been shut in February because of the air show. 

A recent FE Online report cited airport director saying that the Airport is likely to start flight operations to Tirupati. As of now, the airport connects Kolhapur to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. A weather department has also been established at the airport premises so that all airlines are updated with weather forecast at 7 am every day.

Worth mentioning here is that civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu laid the foundation stone for a new terminal building and air traffic control (ATC) tower at the airport earlier this year in February. This estimated cost of this terminal is Rs 275 crore and it will be spread across 3,900 sqm. As per reports, the terminal will have 10 check-in counters and it will e constructed using eco-friendly material.

Kolhapur Airport began operations in 1987 and it was leased by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) from Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 1997. This lease expired in February 2012 and the MIDC requested the state government in May 2012 to be relieved of the responsibility of managing the airport. The airport was then handed over to the AAI in August 2013.

 

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