FCC

Nagpur Airport: Mihan Dream grounded, vantage point lost

2024-05-17

Nagpur's unique and strategic central location was once lauded for placing it on the nation's aviation map. It was hailed for its efforts in creating a harmonized air traffic management system with continuous airspace over the city, alongside establishing a centralized cargo hub. However, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport is currently mired in apathy and has seemingly vanished from the national radar across various parameters, barely meeting the standards expected of a tier-2 city airport.

The airport, bearing its international tag, serves merely two flights to two foreign destinations, Doha and Sharjah, and that too not throughout the week. Shockingly, data from the Airports Authority of India has delivered a blow to Mihan India, a joint venture between Maharashtra Airport Development (MADC) and the AAI responsible for managing the airport. They have been pursuing the Mihan dream for the past 15 years.