Ahmedabad, Sept 10: As the countdown to the nine-day long Navratri festival and 'vibrant Gujarat' investors meet later this month begins, Air India would soon start a special Ahmedabad-London direct flight to facilitate tourists and business entrepreneurs, Union Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy announced here today. Rudy, who met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar this morning, assured of all the necessary cooperation of his department in hospitality for all the foreign guests to arrive and make the state government's venture a success.

He said a tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and New Jersey would also fly "five times" a week from October 27, official sources said. The Union minister said the foundation-stone laying ceremony for "modernising Surat airport" would be done on September 30, when "global investors summit" will be held there.

On the occasion, a special flight from Mumbai to Surat would also begin, he added.

Rudy said Air India has already started the in-flight announcements and exhibition through video-CDs and given the state government a green signal to construct special welcome counters and exhibition stalls on Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi airports. A project for constructing a "ceremonial lounge" for welcoming special guests at the airports will also be taken up, the minister added.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary P K Laheri and other top officials of Airport Authority of India, Air India, Indian Airlines and Ahmedabad Airport.

Bureau Report