Expansion of Rourkela Airport to be carried out soon: Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari

Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday informed that expansion work of Rourkela Airport will be carried out soon. The Minister further informed that a discussion to acquire land from the Rourkela Steel plant has already been held.

“The land that is required for the expansion of Rourkela Airport is with Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). Preliminary discussion with RSP about the acquisition of the land has already been held. The airport is under the Transport Department and I have also spoken with the Minister of the concerned department,” said Minister Pujari.

“We have held a discussion with the Urban Department Minister. We have also planned to hold a joint meeting with all of them in the near future. We are trying our best to acquire the necessary land required for the expansion of the airport soon,” he added.

Key initiatives

Notably, the Rourkela Airport is set for a significant up-gradation, as both the state and Central governments collaborate to upgrade its infrastructure.

A key initiative involves securing a 4C licence for the airport, which will allow aircraft to land safely at night, a feature expected to boost connectivity and economic prospects. The Odisha government has also sent a proposal to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in this regard.

Must Read: Rourkela Airport set for major up-gradation, Odisha govt writes to AAI

The Government of Odisha has proposed to upgrade the Rourkela airport of SAIL suitable for 4C CAT 1 IFR operation considering the growth of the city.

The proposed master plan envisages expansion of the runway to 2700 metres in length and 45 metres in width with Doppler very high-frequency omni range (DVOR) and CAT 1 ILS for operation of big body aircraft like Airbus 320/B737 during day and night.