Bhopal, Oct 12 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the new airport in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district on October 21.

State Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla on Saturday told IANS that PM Modi will inaugurate Rewa airport along with 6-7 other airports from Varanasi.

Rewa airport, the first in the Vindhya region of the state, was located around 140 km from Prayagraj (Allahabad).

On the occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, along with several other cabinet ministers, will be present at Rewa airport.

"We have also invited Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, under whose tenure as Civil Aviation Minister, the foundation stone for the airport was laid," he said.

The airstrip has existed in the area for the last several decades and preparation for developing the airport started around three years ago. However, the formal announcement was made before the state Assembly elections in 2023.

The Deputy Chief Minister, who hails from Rewa, has been shuttling from Bhopal to New Delhi (Airport Authority of India) since 2014 for an airport in the city, as he had once told IANS.

"Rewa airport is a big achievement in the Vindhya region. It will have a landing facility for up to 72-seater aircraft. The airport will promote tourism in the Vindhya belt. It will also provide impetus to medical, engineering, education, trade and industries," he said.

With the addition of Rewa, MP will have six airports, including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Khajuraho.

On Friday, the Deputy Chief Minister reviewed the preparations for the inauguration and gave appropriate instructions to the officials concerned for the event.

On September 10, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved an operating licence for the airport at Rewa.

Both passenger and cargo flight services will be available once the operation begins.