Boeing-AI Nagpur MRO to access improvised taxiway

Nagpur: In a bid to help American commercial aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co speed up work on its $100 million maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) depot at the Nagpur- Mihan, SEZ, the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has proposed connecting it with the help of an unused airstrip that criss-crosses the existing runway.

The proposed second runway at the Mihan airport has run into land acquisition problems. It is required for the Boeing-Air India MRO joint venture to commence operations.

A part of the second runway passes through the Shivangaon village which is yet to be acquired as residents are opposed to any takeover. MADC officials now plan to utilize an old unused runway that intersects the airstrip currently in use.

It is now proposed that a part of this runway could be used as a taxiway and extended further up to the MRO site. The new taxiway would be over one kilometre long and include some turns. One end of the old runway faces the Boeing site and the runway could be extended in that direction.

If this plan is approved, then the MRO need not depend on the second runway coming into existence. Though a part of the proposed taxiway will pass through land earmarked for the second runway, but that patch has already been acquired by MADC, sources said.