01-15-2021, 02:29 PM
Following is from https://odishabytes.com/three-reasons-to...ravellers/ .
Quote:Three more airports – Rourkela, Jeypore and Utkela are being developed under the UDAN -4.
“There have been delays as far as Rourkela is concerned which initially had a licence for only small planes. The taxiway and apron are now being strengthened and restructured to ensure the safety of bigger aircraft,” said Padhee.
...
To expedite the process and make Rourkela Hockey World Cup 2023 ready, a joint inspection of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP)-owned airport was conducted by officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Odisha Government officials, Alliance Air representatives and officials of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), RSP and Rourkela Airport in November last year.
“We expect it to be completed in next six months,” she added.
The joint secretary said that the DG Civil Aviation had inspected the Jeypore airport and submitted the observations. “It can operate small aircraft and there will be bidding for it,” she said.
Utkela in Kalahandi district, however, is still in the construction stage, she added.
On Odisha’s demand for an international airport in Puri, Padhee said that Bhubaneswar receives only narrow-body aircraft and a separate one can be built on a bigger scale near the Pilgrim Town for the long-range ones. “International airports are being built within 60 km distance. For instance, the Hindon Airport which is around 50 km from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. London has multiple airports. This proposal has potential,” she said.
Padhee further added that this will also boost tourism in the state, allowing easy travel for people around the globe to one of the ‘Char Dhams’ of India.