Odisha: Timeline ready to function Rourkela airport forward of males’s hockey world cup 2023

By Express News Service

ROURKELA: With the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 approaching quick, the Odisha authorities has ready a timeline to operationalise the Rourkela airport of SAIL after holding a dialogue with officers of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).

On June 1, MoCA Joint Secretary Usha Padhee held talks with high officers of SAIL in Delhi adopted by one other assembly with the Principal Secretary of Transport division, Odisha Bishnupada Sethi and others on June 3. The discussions reportedly centered on the early completion of the airport’s ongoing works and related formalities following which the timeline was ready.  

Accordingly, it has been focused to use for an ARC 2C licence by August 31 and full ongoing works and commences business flight operation underneath the RCS-UDAN scheme by October 31. A dry check run of ATR 72 kind plane by Alliance Air is scheduled to happen on November 10. 

At least 16 hearth combating personnel skilled by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for Fire Category-VI will likely be deployed by the DG, Fire Service by July 31. Odisha police would additionally deploy 44 airport safety personnel skilled by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security whereas the State Health Department would interact two extra ambulances by August 31. By July 15, the SAIL and India Meteorological Department would equip the airport with a MET facility. According to the timeline, additional growth of the airport as per the grasp plan would happen from December 31.

Meanwhile, after the expiry of the earlier tripartite MoU involving the Odisha authorities, SAIL and AAI in April 2021, a contemporary settlement is more likely to be signed on June 20 for working the airport. However, SAIL sources mentioned the MoU signing on June 20 is unlikely to happen in wake of the continuing discussions.

On Saturday, Sundargarh MP and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence Jual Oram inspected the continuing growth works on the airport. Jual hoped that the airport would begin business flight operation by the stipulated time. 

Former normal secretary of Steel Executives’ Federation of India (SEFI) Bimal Bisi reiterated the demand for a whole takeover of the Rourkela airport by AAI to make it sustainable and take away operational difficulties. He mentioned SAIL is able to hand over the airport to AAI, however the Steel Ministry, MoCA and Odisha authorities must make mixed efforts on this regard.    

Taking wings

Target has been set to use for ARC 2C licence by August 31

Commercial flight operation to begin underneath the RCS-UDAN scheme by October 31

Dry check run of ATR 72 kind plane by Alliance Air to happen on November 10

16 hearth combating personnel skilled by the Airport Authority of India for Fire Category-VI will likely be deployed 

Odisha police would deploy 44 airport safety personnel skilled by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security 

Further growth of the airport would happen from December 31