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.