DGCA nod to 3rd airport in Odisha

Rourkela: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued license for setting up of third airport of Odisha in Rourkela, the industrial capital of the State. The Ministry of Civil Aviation tweeted in this regard saying that the move will pave way for connecting the steel city with the rest of the country.

Currently, the State has only two airports--Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar and Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Jharsuguda.

In April last year, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), the owning authority of the airstrip had inked a memorandum for operation and management of the same in Rourkela.

Later, a delegation of the Civil Aviation Ministry had also given clearance to the airstrip to be used for flight operations by the AAI under the Central Government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme ‘Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik’ (UDAN).

Two more airports under the UDAN scheme at Jeypore in Koraput and Utkela in Kalahandi are also on the cards.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan thanked Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and the DGCA for issuing license for the third airport in Rourkela.

Thank Shri @sureshpprabhu ji & the #DGCA for issuing a license for the third airport at the steel city of Rourkela in Odisha. An airport in the industrial capital of #Odisha will enhance connectivity and will benefit both passengers as well as industries surrounding Rourkela. https://t.co/Hczjb1oHrk

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 8, 2019