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Vidarbha’s Forgotten Airstrips Could Fuel Low-Cost Flight Connectivity

A photo of an aeroplane showing Vidarbha’s Forgotten Airstrips
Vidarbha’s Forgotten Airstrips

An ATR-72 turboprop plane recently took off from Amravati’s Belora airstrip, carrying dozens of local travellers to Mumbai in just over an hour. For Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, where residents have long driven for hours to reach the nearest major airport, this event marks a turning point.


After years of languishing on the sidelines, Vidarbha’s once-dormant airstrips are returning to life for commercial use. Authorities are eyeing these abandoned or underutilised runways as low-cost hubs for short take-off and landing (STOL) flights.


The goal is to improve connectivity across the region cheaply and efficiently, linking remote districts to the rest of the country without building expensive new airports.


Vidarbha’s Dormant Airstrips Get New Life


Amravati’s Belora airfield, largely idle since its construction in the early 1990s, has now been transformed into a functional airport. In April 2025, it saw its first commercial flight to Mumbai under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, officially putting Amravati on India’s aviation map.


A 72-seater Alliance Air ATR now links the city daily to the state capital, sparing travellers an overnight train journey.


The once underutilised airstrip is also set to host Air India’s biggest pilot training academy, reflecting its growing role. Inaugurating the revived airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed it as “great news for Maharashtra, especially the Vidarbha region,” noting that the facility will significantly boost commerce and connectivity in the area.


Elsewhere in Vidarbha, other forgotten runways are drawing similar attention. Gondia’s Birsi Airport, primarily known as a flying school venue, is regaining scheduled flights after a hiatus.

Budget carrier IndiGo announced daily service from Gondia to Hyderabad in late 2023, stepping in after a smaller regional airline’s attempt in 2022 faltered.


At Akola’s Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Airport, a 1,400-metre runway and a small terminal have stood ready since an upgrade in 2008, yet no airline currently operates there.


Yavatmal’s Sant Gadge Baba Airport, built in 1998 on the city’s outskirts, similarly has no commercial flights despite its asphalt runway and apron. Both of these airstrips have been on the state’s priority list for revival.


As far back as 2019, then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performed ceremonies at Amravati, Akola, and Yavatmal airfields, touting air connectivity as a catalyst for western Vidarbha’s growth. “For the industrial development of any city, airport connectivity has become paramount, along with good roads, electricity and rail links,” Fadnavis remarked at the Amravati event, adding that the UDAN scheme was making it possible for the middle class to fly at reasonable cost (Times of India, 2019).


Chandrapur presents a unique case. The district’s lone airstrip at Morwa (9 km from Chandrapur town) is a mere 1,000 metres long, too short for most passenger planes.

Expansion is impossible there, the site is hemmed in by villages, high-tension power lines and a protected tiger corridor that leaves no room to lengthen the runway.


A state plan to build a new greenfield airport at another location was stalled by wildlife conservation concerns, as the proposed site intersected tiger migration routes.


As a result, the modest Morwa strip will be used by the Nagpur Flying Club for training flights, but regular passenger service remains unlikely under current constraints.


Maharashtra’s airport authority has shifted focus to neighbouring Gadchiroli, a Maoist-affected but aspirational district, where about 550 acres of non-forest land have been identified for a new airport to serve the area.


In effect, even as one Vidarbha airstrip faces ecological hurdles, another is being prepared to take its place in the regional connectivity plan.


Short Runways, Affordable Flights

A representation of a STOL aircraft taking off from an abandoned or closed airstrip in Vidarbha
Short Runways, Affordable Flights

Making use of these short runways hinges on deploying the right aircraft. This is where short take-off and landing (STOL) planes come in.


STOL aircraft such as the 17-seater Dornier 228 are capable of operating from airstrips under 1,000 metres long.

These rugged twin-prop planes can take off from tiny airfields, even those with simple or semi-prepared runways, opening up remote locations to aviation. In India’s mountainous Northeast, for example, Alliance Air recently began flying Dornier 228s under UDAN, connecting far-flung Arunachal Pradesh towns that previously required days of surface travel.


A similar approach could work in Vidarbha. A small STOL-capable plane can serve places like Chandrapur’s constrained airfield or other short strips, providing air service without major construction.


Even slightly bigger turboprops like the 42–72 seat ATR series only need around 1,200–1,400 metres of runway, which airports like Akola and Yavatmal already have. In effect, the technology exists to link most of Vidarbha’s dormant airstrips to the air network, provided airlines are willing.


Crucially, reviving an existing airstrip costs a fraction of building a brand-new airport. Most sites already have basic infrastructure, a runway, some terminal space, perhaps an old hangar left from earlier decades.

The Indian government has been pushing for “no-frills” airports, meaning facilities with minimal amenities but sufficient safety for operations. Nationwide, nearly 400 abandoned airstrips (many dating back to World War II) have been identified as candidates for low-cost revival.


Maharashtra alone has its share of these legacy airfields. Upgrading the essentials, resurfacing runways, installing simple lighting for night landing, setting up a modest terminal, and security can make a defunct airstrip flight-ready at relatively low expense. Incentives are in place for airlines, too.


Under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), carriers that launch flights on underserved routes receive viability gap funding from the government to help cover costs, allowing ticket prices to be capped at around ₹2,500 for a one-hour flight. Dozens of new regional routes are also exempt from certain charges.


The government even waived landing and parking fees at about 30 idle airports to entice airlines to fly there. Thanks to such measures, operating in smaller cities has become financially viable for airlines, and fares have remained within reach of ordinary people.


For instance, the new Amravati–Mumbai UDAN flight is priced at roughly ₹2,100 one-way – comparable to a train’s AC fare, yet it cuts travel time to just 75 minutes versus 12 hours by rail.

By using smaller, fuel-efficient planes and relying on subsidies to fill any profit gap, these services manage to be both affordable and sustainable. In short, a strategy combining STOL aircraft and no-frills infrastructure is turning Vidarbha’s once-forgotten airfields into hubs of cheap, fast connectivity.


Connecting Communities and Driving Growth


Early signs suggest that better air connectivity is already benefiting Vidarbha’s people and economy.


The most immediate impact is on travellers. Residents of smaller districts like Akola, Yavatmal and Washim now have a nearer option via Amravati instead of driving to far-off Nagpur or Pune to catch a flight.

Students, doctors, and traders can all save precious hours. An executive from Akola can attend a meeting in Mumbai and return the same day, something unthinkable until now.


The connectivity is also a boon for tourism. Destinations such as the Chikhaldara hill station and Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district are more accessible to outsiders with the new flights linking through Mumbai.


If other airstrips open, one could imagine easier access to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (near Chandrapur) or the pilgrim sites and forests around Yavatmal. Industry, too, takes notice when a city gains an airport.


In Amravati, a PM MITRA textile park is coming up near the airport, expected to generate over 20,000 jobs, a project officials say was spurred on by the promise of air connectivity.


Similarly, the Maharashtra government has argued that having functional airports will boost prospects for new factories and logistics hubs in Vidarbha’s interior. When small farmers, exporters and entrepreneurs know they can ship goods or travel quickly to major cities, a region becomes far more attractive for investment.


Even real estate values around Amravati have reportedly risen by 20–25% in anticipation of regular flights, reflecting the optimism that an airport brings.


The presence of active airports has other ripple effects as well. Vidarbha is now poised to emerge as a hub for aviation training and education.


With the Airports Authority of India and MADC expanding facilities, the region hosts multiple flight schools, from the established National Flying Training Institute in Gondia to the upcoming Air India Academy in Amravati, billed as South Asia’s largest. Nagpur, already home to a major aviation maintenance and cargo hub (MIHAN), will be complemented by these smaller airports feeding traffic and talent.


All of this means more skilled jobs for locals, from pilots and engineers to ground staff.


There are challenges, of course. Airlines need consistent demand to keep flying, and some new routes may take time to mature.

Environmental and land acquisition issues can also pose hurdles, as seen in the Chandrapur case. But the overall trajectory is positive. After decades of relative isolation, this part of eastern Maharashtra is being knitted into the national air network, village by village and town by town. Officials are confident that such connectivity will not only make travel convenient but also help bridge the development gap between Vidarbha and more urbanised regions.


Not long ago, the idea of commercial flights taking off from places like Amravati or Gondia seemed distant. Today, those ideas are quite literally gaining altitude. While not every small airstrip will turn into a busy airport overnight, the momentum in Vidarbha is clearly toward greater connectivity.


Each new flight carries hopes of economic uplift and easier access for communities that were historically off the radar.


If the current trend continues, Vidarbha’s once-silent runways will collectively mark a turning point in the region’s growth story, proving that even the smallest airports can deliver big benefits.


References



3 Comments

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Sameer
Sep 23
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

well written article & Deep research done over the new basic need of growth that is air connectivity, same situation is with Chandrapur , The demand for airport is from 2 decade but no concrete solution, initiated one green field airport project but it is stalled from last 7 years, the need of the hour is better air connectivity to chandrapur

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Rahul
Jul 11
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Well researched and well written article. Both Akola and Yavatmal airports deserve a upgrade at the earleist to improve the connectivityof Vidarbha to other parts of the country.

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Guest
Sep 23
Replying to

well said bro, even from any of the city travelling to nagpur and catching flight has become a tedious job, so as plan of madhya pradesh there should be an airport developed in each 100-150 Km distance saving time, money

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The NewsDirt is a trusted source for authentic, ground-level journalism, highlighting the daily struggles, public issues, history, and local stories from Vidarbha’s cities, towns, and villages. Committed to amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media, we bring you reliable, factual, and impactful reporting from Vidarbha’s grassroots.

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