The Gujarat government has finally finalised the land for the ambitious Aviation Park project after six years. The park, the first of its sort in the nation, will serve as a one-stop shop for anything related to aviation.
The project was originally slated to be built at Bagodara, which is roughly 60 kilometres from Ahmedabad, but the state government has now decided Rajkot will be the site of the project.
The project was conceptualised in 2016. A land parcel in Bagodara was identified, and a consultant was hired to assess the project’s feasibility. Meanwhile, procedures for obtaining environmental and other clearances from the Civil Aviation Ministry have initiated.
However, the land was not deemed fit for an aviation park due to local topography and a large number of power transmission lines. It took nearly two years to complete the feasibility study which ruled out Bagodara as a potential site.
Then search for another site began and finally the government zeroed in on a land parcel near the Rajkot airport.
The park is proposed to be set up on 100-hectare land adjacent to the upcoming Rajkot international airport in Hirasar village of Chotila taluka.
A consultant for undertaking techno-economic feasibility study, project structuring and conceptual master planning of the park has been appointed. The primary feasibility report has been made and the land is found suitable for the park. Moreover, it is near the airport making it more worthwhile for an aviation park.
To be set up at a cost of Rs 250 crore, the park will serve as a one-stop destination for aerospace training, research, recreation and manufacturing.
The park will have a slew of facilities including an airstrip, training school, helipad and space for setting up small manufacturing units among others. It will have aviation and aerospace training and R&D facilities.
One of the main features of the park would be MRO services which provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul of aircraft to companies from all over the world. It will also have assembly and maintenance facilities. The park will offer all the aviation related services and put Gujarat on the aviation map, Secretary Civil Aviation Hareet Shukla said.
Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Ltd (GUJSAIL) is implementing the project. CEO Captain Ajay Chauhan said the integrated park aims to raise awareness about the potential of the aviation sector among students, professionals, policy makers and business entities. “The park will have a theatre and an info-tech area, space for conducting air-shows and other aviation related adventure sports,” he said.
It will have innovative components based on similar facilities around the world. For professionals, the park will have a training complex having flight simulator, aviation and aerospace management school, an aircrew training school, a helipad and a landing trip for smaller aircraft.
The park will also act as a tourist spot where people can stay and look into aviation infrastructure, services and facilities.
Process for environmental clearances and other necessary permissions from the Civil Aviation ministry have been started. The project will take two years to complete, Capt Chauhan said.