Key Points

The Madhya Pradesh government has initiated efforts to upgrade the Banjali airstrip, currently featuring a 3,753-feet asphalt runway, to accommodate commercial aviation.

Addressing an industry conclave here, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav announced that soon the town will have commercial flights services as a proper airport would be developed soon.

“Industrialists and businessmen have to either take alternate means of transport or travel to Indore to catch a flight. Ratlam will also have an airport,” the chief minister said.

Few months ago, a technical team reached Ratlam by special aircraft to inspect the airstrip and assess its readiness for jet operations.

The team provided detailed recommendations to the Public Works Department and other concerned agencies to prepare the facility for business jet movement.

The announcement comes in the backdrop of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the proposed industrial corridor passing through Ratlam district, which are expected to transform the region into a major economic hub.

The state government’s emphasis on air connectivity is seen as a strategic step to complement these infrastructure projects. Ratlam is already listed as an unreserved airport under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, launched in 2016 by Central government to make air travel affordable and accessible.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on 10 February 2022, the then Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had confirmed Ratlam's inclusion in the scheme.

“However, no airline has yet submitted a proposal to operate flights from the city in the four bidding rounds conducted so far,” the minister had clarified that “UDAN is an ongoing scheme, and future bids connecting Ratlam would be considered as per the scheme’s provisions.”

The airport development initiative is part of a broader state-level push to enhance regional air infrastructure. Madhya Pradesh has recently developed new airports in Datia and Satna.

Datia airport, originally designed for small aircraft, was expanded with an investment of Rs 70 crore to accommodate 72-seater planes.

Similarly, Satna airport, which dates back to World War II, was upgraded with Rs 30 crore and received a DGCA license in 2024 for 19-seater aircraft operations.

The Union government has already spent over Rs 2,300 crore on the revival and up-gradation of RCS airports under the “Revival of unreserved and reserved airports” scheme as of November 2021.

Ratlam’s inclusion in this framework could pave the way for further central support. Ratlam is expected to witness a surge in economic activities.

The convergence of expressway access, industrial expansion, and aviation infrastructure positions the city as a rising node in Madhya Pradesh.

- IANS