(a) the time by which the air services are planned to be made operational on the Keshod-Mumbai-Keshod and Keshod-Ahmedabad-Keshod routes;
(b) whether there is no air service available from the Keshod airport despite the nearby tourist destinations of Sasan Gir and Somnath;
(c) if so, whether the Government has to spend a large amount on the maintenance of the airport; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
The Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the table of the House.;
STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 360 REGARDING "FLIGHTS FROM KESHOD AIRPORT" TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2019;; (a) to (d): As per Winter Schedule, 2019, no scheduled domestic airline has filed its request in Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to commence flights to/from Keshod airport. However, Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Implementing Agency of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) has awarded Keshod - Ahmedabad - Keshod and Keshod - Mumbai - Keshod RCS routes to Selected Airline Operators (SAOs) on 24.01.2018 and 25.01.2019, respectively. The SAOs are obligated to commence RCS flight operations on a RCS-route, within a period of six months from the issuance of Letter of Award or within two months from the readiness of airport, whichever is later, unless any extension is granted by the Implementing Agency. The amount incurred by AAI for maintenance of Keshod Airport for the last two years is as follows:;; i) 2017-18: Rs. 2.74 Crore; ii) 2018-19: Rs. 3.13 Crore.