DPA ready to allot 600-1000 acres land for new Kandla Airport

GANDHIDHAM : The path for the development of a greenfield airport in Kandla of Kutch seems to be clear as the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), which handles Kandla Port, has given in-principle approval to allot 600-1000 acres of land for the project.

With the demand for a new airport since 2019, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was ready to fund the project, subject to land availability.

It is learned that since DPA cannot sell the land, it will provide the land parcel on a 60-year lease at a token rate. For this, 2-3 land parcels have been identified, with AAI to take a final call on which to choose.

At present, Kandla airport only sees the movement of two 78-seater airplanes. Before COVID, AAI had demanded 300 acres of land for expansion, which was later decreased to 178 acres, but that expansion plan has also been scrapped, and a new greenfield airport will come up in Kutch.