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Aurangabad airport

Aurangabad airport To get international edge

AURANGABAD: If things go as planned by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the ongoing upgrade of the Aurangabad airport will not only increase tourist traffic to the city, but will also open up doors for better commercial network with the rest of the world

The revamp of the airport, when completed, will allow wide-bodied aircrafts run by chartered flight operators to land at the airport.

The AAI sources told DNA on Monday that the proposed development project includes construction of new passenger terminal and ancillary facilities, and construction of a new, wider apron beside two-way taxi tracks.

Civil aviation minister Prafulla Patel, who had laid the foundation of this project in January 2006, had promised it would be completed within a span of one year. However, it may still take six more months for the project to get over.

The sources added that Aurangabad directs tourist inflow to Ajanta and Ellora caves and other places of tourist interest in the vicinity. It is also an industrial base and is rapidly growing as an important commercial hub. As a thrust to all-round economic development, this airport will facilitate better air connectivity and faster mode of transportation.

In the first phase of development, aided financially by Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), included extension and strengthening of the runway, a taxi-track, the boundary wall and modification of existing terminal and other facilities. Work undertaken during the first phase has already been completed, the officials said.

The second phase, estimated to cost Rs99.67 crore, has received financial aid of Rs60 crore from the JBIC. The AAI will generate the remaining Rs39.67 crore from internal resources, they added.

The proposed terminal will be a glass and steel building with passenger-friendly facilities like central air-conditioning, escalators, passenger lifts, public address system, in-line baggage handling system, aerobridges, CCTVs and modern amenities at par with international standards, the sources said.

A new technical block-cum-control tower, about 30 mts high, has also been proposed. The total floor area of the tower is 620 sq mt. This block will house operational and technical equipment and air traffic management staff.

The sources said the present length of runway at the airport is 7,500 ft, which can handle AB-320 class of aircrafts. However, the length of the runway is proposed to be increased to 9,000 ft, which will also facilitate heavy planes of international standards.

Help And Advice

Help is available 24 hours a day at 001-703-272-3504 (USA) 091-240-2452495 (Aurangabad, India) to assist you in your needs. goto@verulajanta.com

Travel

Aurangabad is off the main Delhi-Mumbai railway line, but there are some direct trains to Mumbai and Hyderabad. Ajanta and Ellora caves are not on any train lines, so if you wish to get to these places by train, you must go either to Aurangabad or to Jalgaon (on the main Delhi-Mumbai line), and from there, take a bus or car.

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Air The airport is about 10km from the center of town. There are flights to Mumbai (2 daily, $75), Delhi (daily, $150), Jaipur (daily, $125), and Udaipur (daily, $110). The Indian Airlines office (485-421; Airport: 485-012) is on Airport Rd (Jalna Rd). It is open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm. The flights are usually overbooked far in advance, so it is best to book your flight at least a week in advance if not earlier. To fly to Udaipur takes thirty minutes; by train or bus expect to travel for twenty-four hours. Jet Airways (425-877).

Trin There are two direct trains daily to Mumbai, both of which are usually heavily booked. The Tapovan Exp #7618 departs 2.45 pm and arrives in Mumbai at 10.50 pm (a bad time to try to find a hotel). At 9.35 pm the Devagiri Exp #1004 departs to Mumbai (10½ hr, arrive 5.40 am). From Mumbai the Devagiri Exp #1003 (9.20 pm, 10 hr) is a direct train to Aurangabad. From Mumbai you can also take a train to Manmad, and from there another train for the uncomfortable 110km ride to Aurangabad. This trip takes about eight hours.

You can also take a train to Jalgaon and a bus to either Ajanta or Aurangabad. If you are coming from Mumbai and then heading north, you can see the Ellora caves first, then go to Ajanta, and then catch a train from Jalgaon. Trains from Jalgaon go to Delhi, Agra, Udaipur, Calcutta, Chennai, and Varanasi.

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To get to Delhi you can take a train to Manmad (2½ hr, 110km), and from there another train to Delhi. You should be able to book the train departing from Manmad to Delhi in Aurangabad.

To get to Hyderabad, there is the daily Devgiri Exp (4.45 am, 14 hr) or the Manmad Kacheguda Exp #7663 (7.20 pm, 14 hr), which goes to nearby Secunderabad. You can also travel to Hyderabad overnight by taking a 5.30 pm train to Pune and from there, another train to Hyderabad (10.30 pm). This can all be booked on the same ticket. The train from Pune does not depart until the train from Aurangabad arrives.

Bus From the Bus station (331-217) on Dr Ambedkar Rd, 2km north of the railway station, there are buses to Jalgaon (10 daily), Ellora, Daulatabad, and Ajanta. There are long-distance buses to Pune (seven daily, 6 hr), Indore (12 hr), Nasik (five daily, 5 hr), and Mumbai.

MTDC operates a daily luxury bus from Mumbai (8.30 pm, 10 hr). The MTDC (202-6713) office in Mumbai is opposite the LIC Bldg, Madame Cama Road. Tickets can be booked at the MTDC Holiday Resort for the deluxe night bus from Aurangabad to Mumbai. There is a four-day tour out of Mumbai run by MTDC. The ticket price includes accommodations at the Aurangabad Ashok.

TPH Tours and Travels at the Hotel Rajdhani, Station Rd, books luxury buses to Mumbai.

To get to Udaipur from here, either take a bus to Indore (12 hr) and another bus from there (another 12 hr), or take a bus to Ahmedabad and from there, another bus to Udaipur.

From Mumbai you could hire a car and driver. The trip will take four days, two days actually seeing the caves.

CITIES DISTANCE FROM AURANGABAD

Bombay :443 kms.

Pune :228 kms.

Shirdi :130 kms.

Akola :254 kms