Biju Airport Turns International Bhubaneswar : 30/October/2013 The long cherished dream of the people of Odisha for international tag for Biju Patnaik Airport has come true today with the Union Cabinet today giving its Stamp of Approval. After the announcement of Union Cabinet, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, This has been a long-standing demand of our state government that Biju Patnaik Airport gets International status. I have been informed about this today. Biju Patnaik Airport Director Sharad Kumar expressed his happiness over the approval and said, “It is a Diwali Gift for the people of Odisha. This is a welcome step by the Union Government. It will boost air connectivity with various parts of the country and the world.” An official release issued here today said, “Declaration of the airports as international one will offer improved connectivity, wider choice of services at competitive cost to the air travelers which resulted in boosting international tourism and economic development of the state. Biju Patnaik Airport belongs to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and is suitable for operation of Code D aircraft of type B-767-400.” The airport is also equipped with facilities for night operations, runway 14/32 of dimension 2743m X 45m, apron to park six aircrafts and navigational aids, it added. It further said, a new domestic terminal building with all modern amenities for handling 400 arriving and 400 departing passengers has been constructed and inaugurated in March 2013. The modification/renovation of the existing domestic terminal building into international terminal building with an area of 6264 sq/m suitable for handling international operations has been completed. Six check-in-counters, custom counters and immigration counters are being provided and the requisite facilities of customs, immigration, health services and animal and plant quarantine at the airport is also completed. Notably, Ministry of Civil Aviation Secretary K N Srivastava during his meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier assured the latter of according international status to Biju Patnaik Airport. Mr.Srivastava had said the work for new terminal of the airport will be completed by December second week while it will be operational by January, 2013. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had also assured the Chief Minister during their meeting in September that necessary steps are being taken to upgrade the domestic airport to international standard at the earliest. The Chief Minister had also taken up the matter of developing airports at Jharsuguda, Jeypore and Gopalpur with the Union Minister. Mr.Patnaik had pointed out infrastructure inadequacy in the aviation sector for air connectivity in the State and urged for development in this regard.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 05:05:01 +0000
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