The first international flight started here last year when Air Arabia launched its Nagpur-Sharjah flight. The overwhelming response from entire central India forced the company to change the thrice-a-week no-frills schedule to all weekdays. Last week, the Indian Airlines started its own international flight from here to Bangkok.

But the real booster came recently when Boeing chose it for its proposed about Rs 500-crore Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) facility. For a city that carried the tag of backwardness for many decades, Boeing meant a giant leap, literally.

Vidarbha’s own, Union Aviation Minister Praful Patel has helped MIHAN in a big way by bringing more flights to Nagpur. ‘‘Many big announcements are likely to follow in the remaining year,’’ he assures. ‘‘Our attempt would be to connect Nagpur to all major cities of the country. We have included National Cargo Hub in the new aviation policy due to be announced soon,’’ he says.

The man in MIHAN’s charge is R. C. Sinha, who carried along with him the reputation as the go-getter CEO of the Mumbai-Pune Highway.

The main idea is to bring and redistribute cargo and passengers from destinations all over the world.

Already, Container Corporation of India’s inland depot at Nagpur is the fastest -rowing inland port in the country.

‘‘After the Boeing announcement, I have been flooded with inquiries from all over the world. TNT, Europe’s transport giant, have approached us to explore the possibility of setting up their base,’’ says Sinha.

What goes in Nagpur’s favour is its central location—over 400 international flights pass daily over its skies, making Nagpur Air Traffic Control (ATR) the busiest in the country. Moreover, it is at the confluence of two major National Highways Kanyakumari-Varanasi (no 7) and Hawrah-Dhule (no 6) and all east-west and north-south railway lines.