Shirdi Sri Saibaba International Airport, located in the western region of India's Maharashtra state, will open to commercial traffic early next month.
The airport, which features a 2,500 metre-long runway, a 2,750 sqm passenger terminal capable of handling 500 passengers per day, and an apron large enough for four narrowbody aircraft, was granted an Aerodrome Licence by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for day-time public operations last week.
A local government official told The Hindustan Times the airfield would see service to each of Mumbai International, Delhi International, and Hyderabad International.
“Initially, there will be four services between Mumbai and Shirdi and one each for Delhi and Hyderabad," the official said. "Alliance Air (India) (9I, Delhi International) will operate from Mumbai and Delhi, while TruJet (TRJ, Hyderabad International) will be operating from Hyderabad. IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) has also applied, and the decision will be taken soon. Besides the expansion of the runway, logistic development for night landings is underway. We expect permissions for night operations in a few months.”
