Gujarat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to develop 11 new greenfield airports and expand nine existing ones to significantly spruce up civil aviation infrastructure in the state. Mr Hareet Shukla, Secretary of Civil Aviation, said that the Ministry is going very aggressively about the civil aviation network. AAI has been told that the government is ready to acquire land and provide it free of cost for these projects. Though an estimate for these projects has not been drawn, each airport is likely to cost Rs 1,500-3,000 crore, he added.
The 11 locations earmarked for the development of proposed greenfield airports in the state encompass Ankleshwar, Morbi, Rajpipla, Botad, Dwarka, Dhordo, Rajula, Dahod, Ambaji, Dholavira and Palitana. The state government and the Airport Authority of India will proceed as needed to advance airport development, considering the technical feasibility and land availability prospects at these locations, as per a report.