A ₹6,000 crore loan, a religious mega-event on the horizon, and a state government in a race against the calendar — Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired the 93rd board meeting of Maharashtra Airport Development Company Ltd. (MADC) at Sahyadri Guest House, Mumbai, on Thursday, July 30, 2026, and sent a clear directive: finish the work, on time, no excuses.

Purandar gets ₹6,000 crore and a deadline

The centrepiece of the meeting was the Purandar International Airport near Pune — Maharashtra's most ambitious greenfield aviation project. CM Fadnavis confirmed that HUDCO has approved a ₹6,000 crore loan for the project, structured through a joint venture company that brings together MADC, CIDCO, MIDC, and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). Drawing on the state's experience with the Navi Mumbai International Airport, Fadnavis directed that Purandar must be delivered within its planned timeline — no slippage.

The joint-venture model mirrors the institutional architecture that kept Navi Mumbai on track, giving the state a template it clearly intends to replicate. Four agencies, one deadline, one loan already sanctioned. The pressure is now on execution.

Shirdi's runway race against Kumbh Mela 2027

If Purandar is a long game, Shirdi International Airport is an urgent sprint. The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 is expected to draw pilgrims in the millions from across India and abroad, with a significant volume of chartered aircraft movements anticipated at Shirdi. CM Fadnavis directed MADC to complete the airport's taxiway, apron, air cargo complex, and all associated infrastructure before the Kumbh begins. The directive was described in the meeting as 'tatkalik' — urgent, immediate. Missing that window would mean failing lakhs of pilgrims at the worst possible moment.

Seven airports in development, Ratnagiri on the verge

The meeting also mapped the broader state of Maharashtra's regional airport network. MADC is currently developing seven airports — Nanded, Nashik, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, Gondia, and Amravati. Ratnagiri Airport is in its final phase, with works nearly complete; the remaining hurdle is securing clearances since the area falls under Coast Guard jurisdiction.

Modernisation funds have been allocated for smaller airports too: ₹64 crore for Baramati Airport and ₹38 crore for Latur Airport. At Karad Airport, a 1,700-metre runway extension is underway, with night-landing facilities planned for the future. Discussions also covered a potential new airport in Gadchiroli district, a flying club at Chandrapur, and new airports at Dharashiv and Yavatmal.

Nanded's new terminal, Solapur flights, and seaplanes on the map

Nanded Airport is set to receive a state-of-the-art passenger terminal, with passenger numbers on a consistent upward trend. Currently served by nine flight routes, the state is working to launch direct connections from Chandigarh and Amritsar to Nanded. Meanwhile, funding under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme has been secured for Hotgi Airport in Solapur, with a Mumbai–Solapur service planned for launch soon.

The meeting also discussed seaplane services at five locations — Pawna, Koradi, Gangapur, Ratnagiri, and Ganpatipule — as the state eyes tourism-led aviation growth. At Amravati Airport, a Flight Training School is being launched, with the DGCA set to conduct a final inspection for night-landing certification. In the MIHAN zone near Nagpur, MADC is also facilitating a proposal for a large hospital modelled on AIIMS, through the Indian Institute of Public Health, pending state land allocation.

With air passenger numbers projected to surge across India by 2035, Maharashtra is betting that the infrastructure it builds today — from Purandar's greenfield terminals to Ganpatipule's seaplane jetties — will define the state's economic and tourism trajectory for the next decade. The next milestone is unmistakable: Kumbh Mela 2027 is the stress test, and Shirdi's clock is already ticking.