This story is from February 6, 2018

Udan airport is helping dreams take off in Nanded

Udan airport is helping dreams take off in Nanded
The improved air connectivity has boosted tourism to Nanded and helped locals fly for the first time
For years, Shankar Tak dreamt about taking a flight. His job at Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji airport in Nanded meant he saw flyers walk into the restrooms he cleaned every day, but he didn’t think he could actually get on a plane. Last month, Tak finally took a flight from Nanded to Hyderabad, after saving up for nine months for the Rs 2,500 airfare. “It was a fantastic experience.
It felt as if I was roaming in the clouds. I wanted to take pictures but I have an old mobile phone,” he said.
Tak bought a ticket under the Udan regional air connectivity scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2017. Nanded in Maharashtra was among the first cities to be connected under the project, which aims to make air travel affordable by developing underserved airports and helipads across the country. Thursday’s Union Budget gave it a further boost by allocating Rs 1,000 crore for 56 unserved airports and 31 helipads under Udan.
The service, capped at Rs 2,500 a ticket for a limited number of seats, has raised hopes in Marathwada, the drought-prone region of Maharashtra with a population of 5.5 lakh. Residents hope the airport will attract tourists and help send agricultural produce to other parts of the country.
One of the least urbanised districts in Maharashtra, Nanded district’s economy is dependent on agriculture. Pilgrims going to Tirupati, who had to spend two days on a train, are now flying there via Hyderabad. Nanded itself is an important pilgrimage spot for Sikhs, known for the Gurdwara Sachkhand Sahib, where the 10th guru Gobind Singh lived. “Tourist flow is rising and it is benefitting localities near the gurudwara,” said Sanju Kulkarni, who owns a bookstore in Nanded.
The airport was opened in 2008 but there were no regular services. Apart from the flights to Hyderabad, a private company started daily flights to Mumbai in November. An airline official said, “The Hyderabad-Nanded sector is 70% full and the Nanded-Mumbai flights are 80% full.”
Suresh Kakani, vice-chairman and MD of Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited, pointed out that flying was no longer a luxury even in small towns, but a necessity. “There are three trains to Mumbai from Nanded, but you have to book tickets months before your travel. This has changed things,” said Kakani. Another important benefit is medical service. “In emergencies, air ambulances are being operated from small airports,” added Kakani. Next up is a cargo service.
“I hope the improved connectivity helps strengthen the economy,” said Akash Madhaswad, an activist. “Earlier only politicians would land here in private jets. Now, anyone living here can think of flying.”
Tak went to Hyderabad on December 2 and returned to Nanded by train as he did not have enough money for the return airfare. He now wants to take his wife, children and parents to Mumbai or Hyderabad. “They must also experience what flying is like,” he says.
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About the Author
Radheshyam Jadhav

Radheshyam Jadhav is a special correspondent at The Times of India, Pune. He holds a Ph.D in Development Communication, and was the winner of the British Chevening Scholarship in 2009 for a leadership course at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His covers civic issues and politics. He is also the author of two books on Mass Communication published by Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation.

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