The Jharsuguda airstrip would become operational for regional connectivity services under the UDAN scheme by November, Chief Secretary AP Padhi said after a State-level Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting held here on Tuesday.
“The Jharsuguda airport will be ready by November, but we are waiting for private operators. They aren’t ready yet. When they are ready, they will be able to start service. We are sorting out the issues with the Rourkela Steel Plant authorities. Initially, we were hoping that they will manage the airport,” said Padhi.
He said that as of now, they are saying no. If they continue to say no, we would manage the security and fire services. More than 60 police and fire personnel of the State Government have already been trained for providing security and fire services in the regional airstrips.
“The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is working to get the airstrip ready, for which tendering process has been initiated. I expect the Rourkela airport to be ready by another two-three months,” he added.
He further said that the Jeypore and Utkela airports would be operational by March, 2018.
With operationalisation of the Jharsuguda airport, the town would get air connectivity with Bhubaneswar and Ranchi.
The passengers would have the option to fly to various destinations at an affordable prices. The average price of a ticket is capped at `2,500.
Earlier, Padhi had directed officials to expedite the works and make the airports UDAN-ready in a time-bound manner.