The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) chaired a detailed meeting on Wednesday to review the pending issues regarding Solapur Airport in Maharashtra, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mohol stated that under the UDAN-RCS (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik - Regional Connectivity Scheme), the Union government has spent about ₹50 crore on revamping the airport. The required human resources for the airport are currently under training, the Pune MP said, adding that he has also instructed officials to expedite the licensing process with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Mohol mentioned that he consulted with airlines and urged them to explore the possibility of operating flights on the Solapur-Tirupati, Solapur-Delhi, and Solapur-Hyderabad routes.
The meeting was attended by M Suresh, Chairman of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Sharad Kumar, Member Operations & Planning, AAI, and representatives from Akasa, Indigo and other airlines.
Meanwhile, Solapur District Collector Kumar Ashirwad told TOI that the DGCA has given in-principle approval to issue the operating license to the airport and that a team will soon visit for a final inspection.
"A fresh application will now be submitted to the DGCA to secure the license. We will file the application online. A DGCA team is expected to visit the airport for a final inspection within a fortnight," the collector said.
Ashirwad explained that one of the key hurdles delaying Solapur Airport's operations was a 92-metre-tall chimney of a sugar unit, which was demolished after several legal challenges in 2023. However, one smaller chimney remains. He added that it would be removed, but until then, aircrafts cannot take off or land at full passenger capacity.
"The airport currently has a 2,100-metre runway. It is feasible for 72-seater aircraft to land and take off without any hurdles. However, due to the load penalty, planes can only operate with up to 60 passengers," the collector further said.
