Till now, driving down to Sindhudurg on Maharashtra’s Konkan coast signified approximately an eight-hour-long journey from Mumbai or Pune. But now it is being assumed that the newly established Sindhudurg Airport at Chipi-Parule will become operational on January 26, which will cut down on travel time and boost tourism in the Sindhudurg district while lightening the tourist load on Goa.
Sindhudurg Airport to bolster tourism in the coastal district
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The Chief Minister of Maharashtra had earlier stated that the operations at Sindhudurg Airport were to start from May, however, due to the outbreak of the pandemic, it had been stalled. Moreover, owing to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, the importing activities of equipment were also put at a halt, which further led to delays. Now, the airport, developed by Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, will be functional in January and it will also make the Konkan region open to explorations and increased footfalls.
The government authorities are hoping that this airport, which is located close to the Goa border, will also bolster tourism in the coastal district and will provide better linkage to the other Konkan regions, inclusive of north Karnataka and western Maharashtra. Earlier, a ten-seater Falcon 2000 aircraft had conducted a trial run here, back in September 2018. This airport has also been armed with a 2,500-metre runway which can handle single-aisle, narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Reportedly, the terminal building will be able to tackle around 400 travellers (200 arrivals and 200 departures).
This project is also set to bring an economic boom for the local people living here due to the increased connectivity to other areas and after its completion, the airport will be the first-of-its-kind facility in the south Konkan locale. The Chipi Airport has been built at an investment of ₹520 crores and the concerned officials are hopeful that the tourism industry will soon be flourishing here.
