Jharsuguda airport expected to usher in economic development in western Odisha

Following is a report from the TNIE:

By Express News Service; JHARSUGUDA: The second major airport of Odisha at Jharsuguda is expected to open up new avenues for economic development in the mining belt of the State. Former Jharsuguda Chartered Accountant Association member Mukesh Shah said the airport will not only benefit the residents of the town but also those from the adjacent mining district of Sundargarh.  “As per history, the airport was initially set up by the Royal Airport during the British rule in 1942 and was used by war planes during World War II. Similarly, during the Indo-Pak war in 1971, the same facility was used by war planes”, he said.

If everything goes as per plan, then flight operations from the airport will start from the last week of July. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate it even as the process is underway to secure category 4C licence for the airport to make it eligible for landing and take-off of A-320 Airbus aircraft. Sources said the airport was accorded category-B licence in May qualifying it for flight operations. Subsequently, efforts have been made to equip it with category 4C licence for landing and take-off of bigger aircraft.

Recently, a team of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), led by Mumbai-based Deputy Director S Saxena and a team of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had conducted separate inspections of the ancillary facilities and security measures at the airport. Sources said the airport has been equipped with surface lighting and ancillary instruments making the runway capable of ensuring safe landing of planes even during inclement weather and night hours.

“After getting 4C licence from DGCA, A- 320 Airbus-type aircraft can land and take off from this airport”, said Jharsuguda Airport Director S K Chouhan, adding that the airport is equipped with an ATS tower, a runway with required length and electrification, emergency health and other associated facilities.

As per the MoU signed between the Central and the State governments, the security arrangements will be looked after by Airports Authority of India (AAI). Sources said spread over a sprawling 909 .22 acres, Jharsuguda airport is ready to become a reality after financial contribution of Rs 175 crore by the Centre and Rs 50 crore by the State Government. Besides, an additional 275.55-acre land has been acquired for the airport.

Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das said the economy of the coal-belt and industrial Jharsuguda district has been in doldrums for long and regular flight operation entails huge prospects to open up new economic vistas for the region.

Flight operations likely from July last week If everything goes as per plan, then flight operations from the airport will start from the last week of July
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate it. The security arrangements will be looked after by Airports Authority of India.

Following is a report from the Sambad:

Three airports from western Odisha to get connected under UDAN scheme

From the Sambad:

Jharsuguda to get airport by May 2018

Following is a report from http://pragativadi.com:

Bhubaneswar: Chairman of Airport Authority of India (AAI), Guru Prasad Mohapatra during a meeting on Tuesday said that the proposed plan of Jharsuguda airport in Odisha will be completed by May 2018. He said it is a joint project developed by AAI and the state government.

Earlier, the state government had signed an agreement with AAI to develop the airport with an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore by allotting a land of around 106.23 acres, out of which the government land proportion is 51.8 acres and that of private is 54.43 acres. As per sources, the government would fund Rs 75 crore while the rest would be funded by the AAI towards the development of the airport.

Further Mohapatra said, under the project, a modular designed passenger terminal would be made with handling capacity of 300 passengers including 150 for arrival and 150 for departure.

District Collector of Jharsuguda, Bibhuti Pattnaik said that tender has already been issued towards road construction to the airport.

The meeting chaired by the chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi along with other officials of AAI and the state government focused on various issues relating to road connectivity to the airport, land acquisition, strengthening of runway, taxi way, control tower and staff quarters.

Development of Jharsuguda airport to be completed by June 2018

Following is a report by IANS published in OTV:

Bhubaneswar: The development of Jharsuguda airport in Odisha will be completed by June 2018, an official said on Tuesday.

Taking a review meeting, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi directed the Airport Authority of India (AAI), Jharsuguda District Collector and other officials to complete all the defined works within the scheduled time.

Padhi said that Jharsuguda Airport is being developed through joint funding from AAI and the Government of Odisha.

The state government had signed an agreement with AAI on July 30, 2014, to develop the airstrip at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore to make it the state’s second largest operational airport, after Biju Patnaik International Airport.

Also Read :  Mahanadi row: BJD team to visit Chhattisgarh today

While the state government would put in Rs 75 crore, AAI would provide the remaining Rs 135 crore to develop the airport, said an official.

AAI has been handed over 106.23 acres of land out of which 51.8 acres is government land, and 54.43 acres is private land. Stage-1 clearance has been obtained for 9.6 acres of forest land, the official said.

The tender has been awarded for works like construction of pavement, passenger terminal building, service block, ATC tower and staff quarters.

CM Naveen Patnaik flags off intra-state flight service

Odisha Sun Times Bureau Bhubaneswar, Jan 19:

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today flagged off the intra-state flight service offered by chartered carrier Air Odisha connecting three destinations in the state.

On its inaugural journey, the carrier took off to Sambalpur from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here and would return to Bhubaneswar via Jharsuguda. The inauguration ceremony was held at the hangar of the old terminal of the airport at 11.15 am.

Air Odisha Aviation Pvt Ltd will begin flight service to Jeypore, Rourkela and Jharsuguda from Thursday, sources said.

It may be mentioned that the nine-seater plane has the capacity fly 11 passengers, including a pilot and co-pilot.

Earlier, the airlines had conducted trial runs to four cities – Sambalpur, Jeypore, Jharsuguda and Rourkela.

The service will be available six days a week except on Sundays. The Bhubaneswar-based private carrier is offering tickets as low as Rs 2,499 as inaurugal offer.

It may be mentioned that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in December last year, had given a go-ahead to the air operator to fly intra-state commercial flights after clearing the on-board airworthiness tests.

Air Odisha plans flight service to Angul, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, and Jeypore

Following is a report by PTI from ET:

BHUBANESWAR: A regional airline has proposed to start flight service to small and industrial towns of Jharsuguda, Angul, Rourkela and Jeypore within Odisha.

“Air Odisha Aviation Pvt Ltd has expressed its interest to operate flights from Bhubaneswar to different parts of the state such as Jharsuguda, Angul, Rourkela and Jeypore from this month,” Sharad Kumar, director Bhubaneswar Airport said.

Stating that the work for the Jharsuguda airport will begin from December this year, Kumar said it is likely to be completed within two years. Jharsuguda would be the second commercial airport in the state of Odisha, he said.

Go Air will be operating four daily flights – two flights to New Delhi and one each to Mumbai and Kolkata from the Biju Patnaik domestic airport from the October 26, Kumar said.

He also informed that the preparations are on for starting flights from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru by another airline operator ATC Airways by February next year.

Presently, 32 flights to eight different destinations are operating from the airport here.

Jharsuguda shortlisted for no-frills airport

Following is a report from the TOI:

NEW DELHI: No-frills airports are all set to become a reality in India. Aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Tuesday said that five cities — Teju (Andhra Pradesh); Hubli and Belgaum (Karnataka); Kishangarh (Rajasthan near Ajmer) and Jharsuguda (Odisha) — have been identified as the places that will first get no-frills airports.

“It will not be correct to call them low-cost airports. They will have no frills. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has developed this model airport, without compromising safety and security. This will result in low cost of operation and make it viable for the airlines to run their services. AAI is committed to commencing work in this financial year at the five locations,” the minister said at his 100-day press conference.

These airports will, to begin with, have airstrips long enough to handle turboprops like ATR and Q-400. “They will have no carousels or conveyor belts. Only the security hold areas at these airports will be air-conditioned. They will have no aerobridges,” said a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official.

The terminal buildings will be single storey with simple structures unlike the fancy glass-and-steel structures in the metros. Also, these airports will have mobile air traffic control units instead of big ATC towers. “Each of these airports would cost Rs 55 crore to Rs 85 crore. They should be ready in two-to-three years,” said the official. The five cities were selected from a list of 50 places across the country. Finalization of low-cost airports was among the list of achievements which included the aviation ministry disposing off over 9,100 old files and removing over 15 truckloads of useless items from the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan headquarters in Delhi.

“As many as 12,977 files have been reviewed, 3,839 files have been recorded and 9,146 files have been weeded out,” aviation ministry joint secretary G Asok Kumar told reporters.

Raju on Tuesday launched DGCA’s know-your-rights portal. DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar said the portal will provide information on the rights of passengers in cases of delays, cancellation and denied boarding, lost, delayed, misplaced and damaged baggage; and on matters related to booking, airfare components and refund of air tickets. The grievance redressal mechanism, names of nodal officers and their contact numbers would be shared with the public on the portal.

Kumar said the government has come out with new measures for physically challenged flyers. Two window seats will remain blocked for them till 24 hours before departure. “Delivery of check-in baggage will be given to them either at the ladder point or exit of escalator belt. Airlines will give special training for their staff for this purpose.”

Odisha govt and AAI sign agreement to develop Jharsuguda airport

Following is a report from BS:

The Odisha government on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for developing an airport at Jharsuguda in western Odisha at a cost of Rs 210 crore.

Currently, AAI operates an airstrip at Jharsuguda, used by a few chartered aircraft. Odisha has just one full-fledged airport — the Biju Patnaik International Airport.

Of the overall estimated project cost, the state government will provide Rs 75 crore. AAI has 909.22 acres in Jharsuguda.

To upgrade the airstrip to a full-fledged airport, the state government has agreed to provide 296.5 acres free; 118.75 acres will be handed over immediately. “We can construct the airport within a period of two years from the date of physical possession of land,” said AAI Chairman Alok Sinha.

The length of the runway at the Jharsuguda airstrip will be increased from 6,500 ft to 7,800 ft, making it possible for A-320 Airbus planes to land and take-off. Apart from extension of the runaway, the upgrade will include the construction of a terminal building, an isolation bay, a new technical block, a control tower and a fire station and the installation of improved navigational and visual aids and ground-lighting facilities.

While signing the MoU, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “Jharsuguda has a marked concentration of industries and urban population because of its proximity to valuable natural resources. The Jharsuguda airport will acquire a key position in the aviation map of the country, paving the way to faster development of the state and the nation as a whole.”
A full-fledged airport at Jharsuguda is also expected to boost industrial units in the region. It is expected the airport’s business will primarily be driven by corporate travellers. Two Vedanta Group firms — Sterlite Energy (an independent power plant with a 2,400-Mw coal-fired plant) and Sesa Sterlite (a 1.75-million-tonne aluminium smelter) —are located in Jharsuguda. Besides, there are a number of sponge iron units in the Jharsuguda-Rourkela belt. The Ib valley region in Jharsuguda district is known for its coal deposits, as well as the operating mines of Mahanadi Coalfields.

Jharsuguda airport: Phase-I cost of the project is likely to be Rs 210 crore

Following is a PTI report taken from BS:

Pallisabha on extension of Jharsuguda airport

Following is a report from the TNIE:

JHARSUGUDA: A special Pallisabha was conducted to acquire 9.6 acre of forest land for extension of Jharsuguda air strip at Talmal village under Dur langa panchayat of Jharsuguda block on Tuesday.

Jharsuguda BDO TR Majhi conducted the Pallisabha while Ward member Fakir Mohan Kishan presided. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) wants the additional land for the runways and construction of another terminal building to cater to the increase in number of passengers. Hundreds of villagers, who attended the Pallisabha, voluntarily favoured transfer of the land for the proposed extension of the air strip. On the other hand, they demanded appointment of the villagers in AAI as per their qualifications and payment of compensation to the occupants of the Government land.

Jharsuguda Tehsildar Bhawesh Naik said the airport used during the World War II requires 118.65 acre of land in Talmal, Durlaga and Malimunda villages of which 56.12 acre is private land and rest 66.63 acre belongs to the Government.