NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN ODISHA

In view of the rapidly growing air traffic in the country and the limitations in the capacity expansion of the existing Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has proposed a new Greenfield international airport in Odisha. This is considered essential to handle the anticipated surge in air traffic through the existing airport. The airport was accorded international status in 2013. However, there is practically no scope for expansion of the existing runway which is just 2742 metres long and hence is unable to accommodate wide-body airliners such as the Boeing 747 and the Boeing 777. The airport is capable of operating both by day and night.

The AAI has asked the state government to identify suitable land for the development of the new facility. The approximate land requirement for the new project is around 1,500 to 2,000 acres. The preferred location is in the vicinity of the capital city of Bhubaneswar, preferably within 30km. The new airport is proposed to be established under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. This would be the airport for the future, catering to the traffic requirement of the state for the next 15 to 20 years and possibly beyond. To enhance international operations, the state government had already reduced value-added tax (VAT) on aviation turbine fuel to zero for direct international flights from the state. However, despite this concession, the international airport has not proved to be attractive to airlines for international operations. AirAsia is currently the only one operating international flights.