It’s good news for flyers that Odisha has got the regulatory approval for a third airport, the location being Rourkela. Presently, the State has the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar and the Veer Surendra Sai Airport at Jharsuguda.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday provided licence for operation of flights in the Rourkela airport.
Earlier, officials of the Civil Aviation Department had reviewed the progress and preparedness of the airstrip at Rourkela and declared that the airport is ready to provide connectivity under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for operation and management of the airstrip in May last year.
The SAIL is the owner of the Rourkela airport; and signing an MoU with the AAI is mandatory for introduction of commercial flights from the airport.
In September last, the AAI had announced that three more airports would come up in Odisha in 2019. These are in Jeypore, Rourkela and Utkela (Kalahandi).
The infrastructures of the three proposed airports are being developed at a total investment of over Rs 100 crore, AAI Member (Planning) AK Pathak had said.