NEW DELHI: Mumbaikars could soon see domestic aerial connectivity almost double this Ganpati festival. Maharashtra is likely to allow Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to handle up to 100 daily domestic arrivals and the same number of departures by the month-end, up from 50 now.
“Mumbai requires more domestic flights. I have taken up the issue up with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and am hopeful that very soon domestic flights to and from CSMIA will be significantly increased,” senior NCP leader Praful Patel said.
Airlines said as the state government capped daily domestic flights, Mumbai was yet to get connectivity to many cities, and frequency to other places was less than required. When domestic operations resumed after a two-month gap on May 25, Maharashtra allowed Mumbai to have only 25 daily departures and as many arrivals. This was raised to 50 from mid-June.
