Site identification work for second airport in Bhubaneswar begins

Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday informed that process for identification of suitable sites for the second airport in Bhubaneswar has begun.

"Identification of a suitable land to build a second airport near Khurda on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar has been initiated. The set-up process will be fast-tracked," the Ministry tweeted.

The move comes following a letter by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier this month in which he had urged Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to set up a new airport on the outskirts of the city as the existing airport was nearing saturation.

While the existing Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar registered a growth of 39.4 per cent in 2017-18 fiscal, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country, it is also facing severe space and runway-related constraints due to lack of space for expansion.

The proposed new airport is likely to reduce air traffic congestion while improving passenger convenience.

In December last year, the Odisha government had identified patches of land at Malipada, Jankia, Tangiapada and Badasahi in the district for establishment of the green field airport project where Code-E or wide-body aircrafts can land.