Airport at Mandwa-Rewas not needed: Capt Mathur

July 16: ``Mumbai does not need a second international airport but the existing airport at Sahar does require a second runway,'' observed C...

July 16: “Mumbai does not need a second international airport but the existing airport at Sahar does require a second runway,” observed Capt DS Mathur former Managing Director, Air India.

Speaking at the weekly talk organised by the Rotary Club of Bombay Midtown at the Taj Mahal Hotel today, Mathur felt that judging by Mumbai’s present growth rate of 0.6 percent, the city does not require a second airport at Mandwa-Rewas to cater to its future needs. “If the existing airport has another runway then all the future needs will be taken care of,” he said.

Instead of spending $ 3.6 million on a new airport, why is the government not spending Rs 500-600 crore on the creation of a new runway at the existing airport, he asked. He further said that collateral back-up facilities like hospitals and fire-fighting systems within the vicinity of the airport are very essential.

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Since there is no modern hospital or fire-station in Alibag, the State Government will have to shell out crores of rupees to construct these if it wants to have an airport there, felt Mathur who was of the opinion that this would lead to further cost-escalation of the project.

While highlighting the need to create a second runway at Sahar, he said that instead of spending billion of dollars and going to a place which is a three-and-half-hour drive from Mumbai the state government should instead concentrate on rehabilitating the slum dwellers who encroach upon 150 acre of the 2000 acre airport. He said that the creation of a second runway will not only accelerate traffic but will also lead to an increase in capacity.