While the Diamond City is still awaiting customs notified approval from central government for starting limited international flight operations, the approval of international airport for Rajkot has not gone down well with Surtis.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Gujarat government have been jointly developing world-class greenfield airport at Hirasar in Rajkot with an investment of Rs 2,500 crore.
"Again Surat's potential has been ignored by both the central and state governments. They are giving us lollipops from the last many years. For the customs notified status, which other airports took just three months, there is more than 10-month-long delay for Surat," said member of 'We Work for Working Airport at Surat' (WWWAS) Sanjay Jain.
He said, "At present, Surat has around 18 flights operating on a daily basis. The passenger traffic has increased phenomenally and is likely to cross 8 lakh by next year. Still, the government is not seeing any potential. The international airport is given to Rajkot and Surat is grossly neglected."
WWWAS member Linesh Shah said, "It is an insult to Surat and its people. What the government is trying to prove by putting up banners proclaiming the international airport at Rajkot. The function is in Rajkot, why put banner in Surat?"
It's almost 10 months since the AAI proposed to Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to approve customs notified status for the city airport. The AAI had sent the customs notified proposal for Surat airport in November 2016.
At present, Surat airport has only domestic connectivity to Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Goa, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Delhi. According to data, during the year 2015-16, about 4 lakh passengers from Surat travelled to international destinations through Mumbai and Ahmedabad airports.
Sources said things were moving fast during the tenure of former Surat airport director Pramod Kumar Thakre as he used to take a rigorous follow-ups of even small issues concerning the airport. His successor Dilip Sajnani is relatively slow and this has even affected infrastructural developments at the airport.
A senior airport officer said, "It's not just Surat airport, the banners have been put up at Vadodara and Ahmedabad airports as well. No one wants to insult people of Surat. The city will get to hear the good news soon."
by via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India
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