Ratnagiri Airport

Ratnagiri Airport (IATA: RTC, ICAO: VARG) is a public airport located in Mirjole, Ratnagiri district, in the Konkan division of the state of Maharashtra, India.

Ratnagiri Airport
IATA: RTC ICAO: VARG
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation
Serves	Ratnagiri, Konkan division, Maharashtra, India
Elevation AMSL	93 m / 305 ft
Coordinates	17°00′49″N 073°19′40″E / 17.01361°N 73.32778°E / 17.01361; 73.32778
Map
RTC Location of the airport in Maharashtra Show map of Maharashtra RTC RTC (India) Show map of India
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 1,372 4,501 Asphalt
Sources: WAD,^[1] GCM,^[2] STV^[3]

History

The airport was built in 1973 by the Public Works Department, Government of India.^[4] Vayudoot operated flights to Mumbai for a short while before discontinuing due to runway repairs, shortage of aircraft capacity and paucity of resources.^[5] The airstrip was transferred to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation(MIDC) for upgradation, expansion and maintenance in 1997.^[6] During the 2008 winter session of the state legislature, the Maharashtra State Cabinet decided to hand over the airport to the Indian Coast Guard for setting up an air station. It proposed to hand over 41 hectares of airport land and another 19 hectares of MIDC land to the defence ministry .^[7]

MIDC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India on March 5, 2019, to facilitate civil operations under the UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The MIDC agree to provide infrastructure for handling of aircraft and passengers such as building the passenger terminal and taxiway, while AAI would provide communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems for air traffic management at the airport.^[8]

Coast Guard Air Station (CGAS) Ratnagiri

CGAS Ratnagiri was commissioned on 26 March 2011^[9] as the first full-fledged Coast Guard air station in the state of Maharashtra. The Air station will play a crucial role in maritime surveillance and search & rescue operations.^[10]

Airlines and destinations

No scheduled commercial air service at this time. Ratnagiri Airport has been upgraded with coast guard air station, passenger terminal, night landing facilities and air traffic control tower. Commercial air services are scheduled to begin by 2022^[11] under the Regional Connectivity Scheme of Airports Authority of India (AAI), after lengthening of current runway from 1300 m to 1800 m.^[12]

References

1. . World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006.
2. Airport information for VARG at Great Circle Mapper.
3. Airport information for Ratnagiri Airport at Transport Search website.
4. "Airstrips in Maharashtra". Maharashtra Public Works Department. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
5. "Written Answers" (PDF). Parliament Library. 16 July 1991. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
6. . Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
7. "Coast Guard gets new airbase". Mumbai Mirror. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
8. "MoU for activating RCS - UDAN operations at Ratnagiri Airport to be signed tomorrow". Press Information Bureau. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
9. "Coast Guard station at Ratnagiri commissioned". Daily News & Analysis. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
10. "Ratnagiri to have coast guard air station". ExpressBuzz. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
11. [The Asian Age|https://www.asianage.com/metros/mumbai/050319/civil-flights-to-start-at-ratnagiri-airport.html]
12. Business Today - 23.08.2016 - Airport Authority of India