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Nagpur airport on international map

     Nagpur: After six months since the Union Cabinet approved the upgradation of the existing Nagpur airport as an 'International Airport' and naming it as "Dr Ambedkar International Airport", finally stage has been set here for landing of first international flight on Sunday. Air Arabia, a carrier of United Arab Emirates (UAE) is starting a new service on the Sharjah - Nagpur - Sharjah sector from October 16. Celebrities including Union Minister of Agriculture Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R R Patil, and Praful Patel, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation will be present on the occasion, an official release said. The Government of Maharashtra has proposed to develop a world class Multi-modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) integrated with the existing Nagpur airport. The basic premises of Maharashtra Government to create an aviation hub at Nagpur are that about 400 aircraft over fly over Nagpur, with a contention that creation of infrastructure will automatically create air traffic.

     The Maharashtra Government is also planning to convert the industrial estate of Butibori into Special Economic Zone for which requirement of an international airport is essential. Declaring the airport as international is expected to help in developing tourism and international trade in the region as well as enable optimum utilization of the airport. The existing Nagpur airport belongs to Airports Authority of India (AAI). AAI has developed the runway and associated pavements for B-747 operation. The airport has a new passenger terminal building complex suitable to handle 650 passengers at a time. International Haj flights have also been operating from this airport during the last two years. Air India is planning Haj operation with B747/A310 aircrafts every year. Nagpur has been designated as one of the embarkation points for Haj pilgrims. Presently 52 flights are operating through Nagpur Airport every week Indian Airlines is planning to convert five B737 aircrafts into freighter/cargo aeroplanes, all of which would be placed in Nagpur making Nagpur the hub for cargo and freight services of Indian Airlines. Air Deccan also proposes to introduce a new service between Nagpur and Nasik six days a week from October 30. Declaration of an airport as international depends upon traffic potential and demand from airlines for operation of international flights. Renaming the existing airport of Nagpur after Dr. Ambedkar, has been a long-standing demand of Parliamentarians and the general public of Maharashtra.