Chandrapur: Chandrapur’s long-standing demand for direct air connectivity received a positive response from Centre, with Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu assuring Ballarpur MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar of action on a proposal to develop Morwa airport and introduce regular flights to Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.Chandrapur, an industrial and mineral-rich district with major power, coal, cement and paper projects, as well as Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, currently has no regular commercial air service. Residents, students, businesses and officials have to travel to Nagpur or other cities to access air connectivity, adding time and cost to their journeys.Mungantiwar raised the issue during a meeting with Naidu in New Delhi and sought inclusion of Morwa airport in Centre’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme. He also sought a technical review of the airport’s constraints, including the presence of tall structures at Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station.Morwa airport, about 9km from Chandrapur, occupies around 62 acres and has a runway of about 1km. Mungantiwar said expansion and compliance with technical requirements could make regular passenger operations feasible.He has pursued the issue with Centre on earlier occasions, including through representations dated Oct 15 and Dec 15, 2025, and March 27, 2026.Mungantiwar said direct flights would improve access for industry and education while supporting tourism to Tadoba. Naidu’s assurance, he said, offered a fresh push to efforts to establish regular air services from Chandrapur.
