The government of Madhya Pradesh has successfully identified a substantial plot of land spanning 10,000 acres, situated between Ujjain and Dewas, as part of a strategic initiative to develop a greenfield international airport in the state. This ambitious project, with aspirations to surpass the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, is envisaged to replace and augment the existing Devi Ahilya Airport in Indore.
The proposed airport, strategically positioned at the confluence of Dewas, Ujjain, and Indore districts, is slated to feature a minimum of five runways. Sanjay Kumar Shukla, the Principal Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy for the Madhya Pradesh government, informed India Today that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has issued directives to accelerate the land acquisition and development processes.
According to Shukla, a comprehensive feasibility study has indicated that constructing a new international airport would be a more economically viable solution compared to the extensive land acquisition, totaling 2,314 acres, required for the expansion of the existing facility.
"The proposition to establish the new greenfield airport emerged after the Airports Authority of India recommended fresh land acquisition for the Devi Ahilya Airport's expansion. It was discerned that the cost of such an acquisition would surpass that of constructing an entirely new international airport. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has urged expeditious progress in the requisite procedures, and once operational, the new airport is expected to stimulate economic growth throughout the region," stated Shukla.
He further elaborated that a comprehensive industrial ring, encircling the proposed greenfield airport and within a two-hour driving radius, will be established, contributing significantly to the region's economic prosperity. Shukla highlighted that a pre-feasibility study for the greenfield airport has already been conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the Airports Authority of India.
The existing Devi Ahilya Airport in Indore, currently a customs airport, spans an area of approximately 750 acres. Equipped with a single runway, the airport currently handles 394 domestic flights per week.
