First Familiarisation flight lands at Chipi Airport, commercial planes expected in December

NP NEWS NETWORK 

PUNE 

Achra (Konkan) In what can spark the possibility of tourism and trade development in Maharashtra’s Konkan belt, the first ever familiarization flight landed at Chipi Airport yesterday.

The successful landing of the flight has given away for the possibility of commercial operation of the planes at this airport by December this year.

This would be the first airport in Sindhudurg district which will serve entire Konkan belt which was hitherto dependent on Goa for the facility.

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People are hopeful that the tourism activity in this area would get a much-needed push bringing in economic prosperity. Also, the fishing and farming community also looks at this Airport as a ray of hope for them to fetch the better price for their commodities.

The familiarization flight was welcomed on September 12, 2018, by  Maharashtra’s minister Dipak Kesarkar, MP (Lok Sabha) Vinayak Raut and MLA Vaibhav Naik.

IRB Infrastructure had won the bid to develop the airport in the year 2009 for a concession period of 95 years. The work on the airport was expected to be completed by August 2014 but had been delayed because of the issues in acquiring private land, among others.

Sindhudurg was declared as country’s first tourism district way back in the year 2008-09 but nothing seems to be happening here with the political powers least interested in investing their energy towards promotion of the industry.

The Chipi Airport can fuel the tourism activity in this region which has beaches like Malvan, Vengurla, Bhogve, Achra, Tarkarli, Devbag, Mithbau, Kunkeshwar, Shiroda, and others.

At Achra beach, Raja Malekar who owns Prajwal Beach Holiday Home feels that this tourist season is going to be significant as, after the first chartered flight arrival in December, the footfalls of tourists are going to rise. “People who used to go to Goa can now come here as we have much cleaner beaches,” he said.

Local Achra Panchayat has already commissioned Lifeguarding activity on this beach. Rasik Joshi who has been appointed as the lifeguard feels that commissioning of the airport will bring in more tourists at the beach.

“There is rush on the beach during holidays but there is no much activity during other time,” Joshi said.

He said that the beach already has all the infrastructure required to welcome tourists here.

Gurunath Ramesh Kandalgaonkar said that the fishermen in this area catch the rich variety of fish here but they have to depend on Goa to export our product.

“We have to send fish all the way to market in Margao in Goa which is 130 kilometers away from here. If the airport is started then we will be able to export is right away from here due to which we will fetch the good price for our catch. The airport at Chipi is certainly going to be a boon,” he said.

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Senior Journalist Vivek Tamhankar was witness to the familiarization flight successfully landing at the airport. He said that besides beach tourism, heritage sites will also get much-needed attention from the tourists. “There are several forts here which have historic importance. That is a rich heritage which has been passed on us from the generations which we need to showcase to the world,” he said.

Tamhankar also said that the vegetable and horticulture produce from Sindhudurg can get access in the international market once the airport is commissioned.