A view of Minicoy beach in Lakshadweep.
Credit: UT Administration Of Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep's Minicoy island is getting a new airport even as India is mired in a row with Maldives, following comments from the island nation's ministers after PM Narendra Modi posted images of his visit to the union territory and promoted it as a tourist destination.
As per ANI, the new airport will be able to handle fighter and commercial planes, with government sources telling the agency "India plans new airport for both military, civilian aircraft operations in Lakshadweep's Minicoy."
The agency further noted that proposals had been moved to the government in the past as well, but the plan to have a joint-use defence airfield was revived in recent times and has gained steam.
The airfield, from a defence point, would benefit India in giving it a base to keep an eye on the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region.
Notably, the Navy has already increased its presence in the Arabian Sea amid a spate of pirate attacks on merchant navy vessels. The Indian Ocean region also remains a point of concern for New Delhi with China's presence in the area.
ANI further reported that while the Indian Coast Guard was the first under the Defence Ministry to propose the development of the airstrip on Minicoy island, the Indian Air Force will be in the lead to run operations from the airfiled, once built.
The new airport is expected to boost tourism too since the only Lakhsadweep airport is currently at Agatti and can't handle all types of aircraft.
Following Modi's two-day visit to Lakshadweep, some Maldives ministers made disparaging comments, plummeting the relation between two countries that was already on choppy waters. While the Maldives government has suspended the ministers and distanced itself from their remarks, Indians have decided to boycott the island nation with a vengeance. The Indian Chamber of Commerce too raised an appeal to boycott Maldives, even as several celebrities have taken to social media to promote Lakshadweep as tourist spot.