Mumbai: Aviation regulator DGCA has granted aerodrome licence to the Shirdi airport in Maharashtra, paving the way for much-awaited flight operations from the temple town.
The licence was given after a team from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out the final inspection of the new airport recently.
Director General of Civil Aviation has issued the aerodrome licence to Shirdi airport for public use for day operations after ensuring compliance of all relevant standards, a senior DGCA official said on Thursday. Developed by the Maharashtra Airport Development Company in the Rahata tehsil of Ahmednagar district, at an investment of around Rs 350 crore including Rs 50 crore from the Shree Saibaba Sasthan Trust, the airport is capable of handling single narrow-body aircraft such as Airbus A320 and Boeing 737s with a 2,500 meter long runway.
According to an estimate about 60,000 pilgrims visit Shirdi every day, out of which the airport authorities plan to tap at least 10-12 per cent.