Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Friday reviewed the progress of Solapur Airport.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the work on the Solapur airport is in its final stages and that a review meeting regarding the project was held in New Delhi.

"During the meeting, various issues concerning the final phase of the airport's construction were discussed. A review of the work status and technical matters was also conducted," he added.

"UDAN-RCS (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik - Regional Connectivity Scheme) routes and airline operations were also discussed. Additionally, various issues were raised to initiate services on the Solapur-Goa, Solapur-Mumbai, and Solapur-Hyderabad routes. Efforts are moving quickly to make the airport operational at the earliest, and Solapur residents will soon have access to air services," the Pune MP further stated.

Earlier, Mohol mentioned that the Centre has spent about ₹50 crore on revamping the airport. "The required human resources for the airport are currently undergoing training, and officials have been instructed to expedite the licensing process with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," he added.

Reportedly, the DGCA has granted in-principle approval to issue the operating license for the airport, with a final inspection scheduled to be carried out soon.

One of the key hurdles delaying Solapur Airport’s operations was a 92-metre-tall chimney of a sugar unit, which was demolished after several legal challenges in 2023. However, a smaller chimney remains, and it will also be removed. Until then, aircrafts cannot take off or land at full passenger capacity. The airport currently has a 2,100-metre runway, which is suitable for 72-seater aircraft to land and take off without obstacles. However, due to load penalties, planes can only operate with up to 60 passengers.