The Maharashtra government has approved an allocation of ₹17.97 crore this year to promote air travel on the Solapur–Mumbai and Solapur–Pune routes. The funding will be provided as Viability Gap Funding (VGF), with the state bearing the entire cost until Solapur airport is brought under the central government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
According to the government resolution issued on Monday, the scheme aims to strengthen regional connectivity and encourage passenger movement from Solapur. The central government had included Solapur airport, along with eight others in Maharashtra, under the RCS in 2016. However, while airports at Nanded, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, and Sindhudurg are already operational under the scheme, Solapur’s inclusion is still pending.
The state cabinet’s decision ensures that the operator, Ghodawat Enterprises Pvt Ltd (Star Air), will receive ₹3,240 per seat as VGF. This 100% state-funded subsidy will remain in force until the airport comes under the central RCS coverage, after which the standard cost-sharing model will apply.
