Nashik: The city is likely to get direct air connectivity with Gujarat as an airline company has made a bid to start the Nashik-Surat route as part of the Centre's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).The formal announcement about the response by airline operators for cities in Maharashtra under the scheme will be declared after the municipal corporation and zilla parishad elections as currently the model code of conduct is in place. The bids are slated to be finalised by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.Highly placed state government sources said a well-known private airline operator has filed a bid for the Nashik-Surat route under the scheme. "The nitty-gritty finalisation of the bid is being carried out. The central government has decided not to disclose about the air routes finalised for Maharashtra cities due to code of conduct," sources informed.The air connectivity between Nashik and Gujarat could be a profitable proposition as hundreds of commuters come to Nashik by road from various places in Gujarat and vice versa. Over 50 buses ply every day between Nashik and various cities of Gujarat.The air service from Nashik is waiting to take off for the past seven years. The airport terminal is also ready, but sans air service. In November 2009, the Kingfisher Airlines had shut the Nashik-Mumbai services following poor response. The air service is yet to commence since then.Thereafter, the state government and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) jointly built the airport terminal at Ozar, around 20km from Nashik city, at Rs 84 crore.The money was invested by the government, while the land was owned by the HAL. But the airport is still lying idle due to lack of air services.According to Nashik Industries & Manufacturers' Association (NIMA), there is good potential for the air routes for Bangalore, Delhi and Gujarat. There is no rail connectivity with Gujarat and the connectivity is by road only. Other than buses, thousands of people travel by private vehicles from both the destinations. Hence, there is good scope for air connectivity to Gujarat as well."I am in touch with several Gujarati traders and businessmen who continuously travel to Nashik. There is demand for air connectivity between Nashik and Gujarat. This Nashik-Surat flight will become successful if it takes off," said Shivaji Aher, former president All India Wine Producers' Association.Chaturbhai Patel, an industrialist, said, "I have manufacturing units both in Nashik and Gujarat. I need to keep travelling between Gujarat and Nashik. There is no train connectivity and it takes around 10 hours by road to go to Ahmedabad. There are many traders and businessmen who actually need this air service."When contacted, Harishankar Banerjee, NIMA president, said, "We are yet to know about the result under the RCS. A subsidy is to be given by the government to airline operators who start flights under the scheme. If any air route is not worked out under the RCS, then we will again convince airline operators with loyalty programme by committing purchase of certain number of tickets."

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