Rourkela Airport upgradation for Hockey World Cup has new October deadline

By Express News Service

ROURKELA: Upgradation and restoration of economic flight providers on the Rourkela airport in view of the Men’s Hockey World Cup subsequent 12 months don’t appear a actuality earlier than October this 12 months. The event is scheduled for January 2023.

Sources accustomed to the venture mentioned the revised goal for operationalising the airport is October this 12 months.  Considering the monsoons forward, solely three months are left in hand. In June 2021, work had begun for a brand new apron and taxiway at a price of Rs 5.69 crore. But even after 9 months, little progress could possibly be seen on the bottom. While tenders for brand spanking new terminal constructing and carpeting of runway haven’t but been awarded, nothing has been carried out for widening of the connecting highway or building of the brand new perimeter partitions with elevated peak. 

For growth of the present runway,  Rourkela Steel Plant has offered 146 acre, however presently, lower than 15 acre has been utilized by Airports Authority of India (AAI). All these works are time consuming and completion inside a number of months is uncertain, sources added.

Incidentally, anticipating airport upgradation by May, the AAI had earlier set time to use to the DGCA for upgradation of the present ARC 2B licence to ARC 2 which now appears inconceivable.

Meanwhile, replying to BJD MP Amar Patnaik, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday made an announcement within the Rajya Sabha relating to standing of the Rourkela airport. 

The Minister mentioned the airport owned by SAIL is licensed for Aerodrome Reference 2B operations (appropriate for 20 seater aircrafts). It has acquired bids  for ATR-72 plane below the RCS-UDAN scheme. The implementing company AAI has undertaken upgradation of the airport for Code 3C appropriate for operation of ATR 72 sort plane. He additional clarified 1,349 toes of the present runway is serviceable.

Replying to Patnaik’s query if there’s any plan to subject ARC 4C licence to the airport for operation of larger aircrafts earlier than the showpiece hockey occasion,  the Minister mentioned Code 4C operation is just not possible throughout the accessible land.

On January 31, the Minister had written to Raghunathpali MLA Subrat Tarai informing that Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route below RCS-UDAN scheme was awarded to Alliance Air. Till December 2021, round Rs 28.27 crore was spent on airport upgradation, and AAI has instructed to expedite the venture to make sure completion by October 2022. After that, Alliance Air would begin flight operation.