Gujarat to Launch 5 Airfields for Aero-Sports Activities.

The Gujarat government is set to open five state-owned airstrips and airfields to national and international operators for aero-sports activities. The Directorate of Civil Aviation has issued a tender inviting competent authorities to conduct a variety of aero-sports events at Mandvi, Rajpipla, Saputara, Dwarka, and Dhordo for a three-year period.

The proposed activities include skydiving, microlight flying, hot air ballooning, hang gliding, paragliding, paramotoring, aerobatics displays, and drone flying. The initiative aims to foster a vibrant aero-sports culture in Gujarat, attracting both local and global participants while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

The tender invites experienced operators with at least two years in the aero-sports industry to assess the airfields before submitting bids. The deadline for submissions is October 30. Notably, Dwarka, Dhordo, and Rajpipla are part of Gujarat's plan to develop new greenfield airports, as outlined in a December 2023 agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

This push for aero-sports comes after the suspension of Gujarat's sea-plane service, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020, which was halted in 2021. The new initiative marks a renewed effort by the state to promote adventure tourism and aero-sports activities.

HBL