Gujarat urges Aviation Minister to connect Kandla to Delhi, Mumbai by air

Vadodara

Gujarat Civic Finance Minister Saurabh Patel has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, requesting him to introduce Air-India flights on the Kandla-Mumbai and Kandla-Delhi routes.

“Lack of air connectivity is hampering development of Kandla, which houses Kandla Port and entire eastern region of Kutch district which has been booming with industrial and commercial activities,” Patel said in a letter to Raju.

“Kandla’s poor air connectivity has a negative impact on the Port and SEZ, hampering the movement of high value goods.

With the Mundra SEZ, the air services from Kandla becomes imperative,” Patel said.

The nearest airport to Kandla is at Bhuj at a distance of about 60 kms. From Bhuj, Air India runs a single flight while Jet Airways operates two flights a day, which is inadequate to meet the ever increasing demand of about 3,000 medium and large-scale industries located in Kandla, he said.

“The air traffic is so high in the region that these three flights find it difficult to meet the passenger demand. It compels them to either go to Rajkot or Ahmedabad to catch flights for Mumbai and Delhi,” Patel said.

He said the two routes will be profitable for the national carrier as there are no other airline services operating on them.

A delegation of Federation of Kutch Industries association (FOKIA) and Kutch Timber Merchants Association will meet chairman and managing director of Air India Ashvin Lohani in Delhi tomorrow and put forth their request.

PTI