‘Kolhapur airport to become a cargo hub’

PUNE: Union Minister of Commerce and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu laid the foundation stone of the new terminal building and Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower at Kolhapur airport on Saturday. He announced that the Kolhapur airport will be known as 'Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj' Airport.

Prabhu said, “The Kolhapur airport will be built as a cargo hub. The airport will have facilities like night landing for aircrafts and also a parking system for the aircraft. It was a long pending demand to name the airport and now, the airport will know as Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj airport. Rajaram Maharaj had started Kolhapur airport in 1940 and it was because of his efforts and vision that the first aircraft landed at the airport at that time.”

He further added that more flights will be introduced later to increase passengers’ movement. The facility will start soon”, he said. He also said that a museum with artefacts related with Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj will be set up at the airport.

During the inaugural function, Mayor Sarita More, Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil, MP Dhananjay Mahadik, MP Sambhaji Raje, MP Raju Shetti, MP Sanjaykaka Patil, former Governor DY Patil and others were present.