Mumbai, Aug 28 (Agencies) : Even as the state government is yet to start work on the much-awaited Navi Mumbai airport, it has now decided to explore the possibility of an airport at suburban Kalyan. This would mean a third airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The government expects to carry out domestic operations at Kalyan to boost the regional airport connectivity in the state.

The move is being considered keeping in mind that several domestic flights coming from various two-tier cities can have landing at Kalyan instead of Mumbai or Navi Mumbai. This will further decongest traffic at the Mumbai airport.

“The proposal is in its preliminary stages with the Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis making an aerial visit to the proposed site for the airport at Kalyan. The airport will be constructed on an airstrip that was abandoned since the Second World War and measures around 730 hectares. The plan is to have an airport for small aircraft that could connect the smaller cities of the state such as Shirdi, Nashik, Nanded, Latur and Amravati,” said Swadheen Kshatriya, chief secretary of the state.

The central government’s plans to boost regional airport connectivity by building 50 new airports in small towns in the next three years will substantially add to the existing load at Mumbai’s airports. As such, the state government wants to develop an additional airport immediately, to decrease the air traffic at the city airports, which cater to about 40 million passengers annually.

“The Centre will fund around 80 per cent as viability gap for the third airport at Kalyan and the remaining 20 per cent will be funded by the state government,” added Kshatriya.