The Hindu : National : Gwalior back on civil aviation map

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 26, 2005

National

National

Gwalior back on civil aviation map

Staff Reporter

GWALIOR: Known for its famous Fort, Gurjari Mahal and the Jai Vilas Palace, Gwalior was put back on the civil aviation map on Friday. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and the scion of the Gwalior royalty and Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia reached here by the inaugural Air Deccan flight from Delhi.

Speaking at the Mata Vijayeraje Scindia Airport, Mr. Patel lauded the role played by the young MP in bringing the city back on the aviation map.

He said just as mobiles reached every corner of the country, so too people in all parts would be able to fly.

More importantly, he said, low-cost airlines such as Air Deccan brought air travel within reach of the common man.

While the former Civil Aviation Minister, Madhavrao Scindia, launched Indian Airlines flights to Gwalior during the Narasimha Rao regime, his successor in the National Democratic Alliance regime got them discontinued.

By again getting the Ministry to allow flights to the important city, Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia did yeoman service to the citizens, Mr. Patel said.

Air Deccan Managing Director G.R. Gopinath, who also accompanied the two VIPs in the 48-seater ATR 42-500 aircraft, said the vision of the airline was ``to bring every Indian city with an airstrip on the aviation map.''

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National