Face of Nation : Boeing 747 – 400 aircraft will be able to land at Mundra in close proximity to India’s biggest private port where big ships dock to load and unload cargo with the Adani Group planning to convert its private airstrip at the port complex into a full-fledged commercial airport with an investment of Rs 1,400 crore. The expert appraisal committee (EAC) attached to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change has recommended the project – that includes a dedicated aerospace manufacturing facility- for environmental clearance, according to a document reviewed by Business Line.
The existing private airstrip at Mundra constructed over 45 hectares of land will be converted into a commercial airport spread over 522 hectares with the capability to serve the 747-400 aircraft and commissioned by 2022.
The airport will be run by Mundra International Airport Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), which runs India’s biggest private port at Mundra in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
The existing private airstrip has a runway with length of 1,898 metres and width of 30 metres with a 400 sqm terminal facility. The proposed length of the runway after conversion will be 4000 metres with a width of 60 m. Under the UDAN scheme, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has allowed conversion of the private airstrip into a commercial facility to improve air connectivity in the region.
The Ahmedabad-based infrastructure conglomerate led by Gautam Adani ventured into the airport business earlier this year by emerging the highest bidder for running the Airports Authority of India-operated airports at Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram on long-term lease of 50 years. On 3 July, the Union Cabinet approved the highest bids submitted by Adani Enterprises Ltd for leasing the Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Mangaluru airports. Approval for the remaining three airports is expected soon.
