The Bombay High Court has initiated suo motu action regarding the daily eight-hour closures at Nagpur airport since March 2024. The court has sought responses from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airport Authority of India (AAI), and other relevant authorities, citing significant inconvenience to passengers.
A division bench comprising Justices N W Sambre and Abhay Mantri took note of media reports indicating minimal repair efforts over the past four months to restore normal airport operations. The court emphasized the adverse impact on travelers to and from central India. “Considering the geographical location of Nagpur city, being the center of the country, the operation of the airport is for the convenience of the people residing in central India,” the HC stated.
The bench has issued notices to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, AAI, the Maharashtra government’s Department of Civil Aviation, Maharashtra Airport Development Company, and the Multi Modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN). The court has directed the respondents to submit their affidavits and scheduled the next hearing for August 14.
