Media reports indicate that the Chhattisgarh state government and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) may sign an agreement for setting up a full-fledged airport at Raigarh at a cost of Rs 260 crore.
AAI is expected to develop the proposed airport in two phases, with Rs 158 crore being spent on the first phase. The authority expects to complete the project in three to four years.
Once the airport becomes operational, flights of ATR-72 aircraft, which can seat 70 to 80 people, would be started initially.
AAI would introduce flights of bigger aircraft, with seating capacity of 200 people as and when the traffic increases and the airport is fully operational.
The state government may allocate 600 acre of land to the AAI for developing the airport. As of now, Raigarh has an air strip, which is primarily used for small aircrafts and choppers but once the airport is developed, it would give a fillip to the industrial activity in and around the district. The airport would promote air connectivity and help in boosting the state’s economy.
It may be noted that the state government has shown interest in upgrading air connectivity across the state. As part of this effort, Bilaspur is being upgraded to 3C for the landing of 60-70 seat ATR planes and Jagdalpur would be upgraded to 2C Category in the next financial year.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.