VIJAYAWADA: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for construction of an airport at Paradip. The airport will serve both commercial and disaster management operations.
Informing this, Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) Suresh Chandra Hota said, “After identification of a suitable site for the proposed airport, an impact assessment survey will be carried out. The report will include the estimated cost, size of the terminal, length of the runway and other details.”
A tripartite agreement among the AAI, Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) was signed for the purpose last month. Both PPT and IOCL will have stakes in the project, sources said.
Officials of AAI said the multi-modal connectivity will boost the port town’s business and tourism prospects. While the new facility will serve the tourists travelling to the State in international luxury cruise liners, the decision on passenger movement will be taken later, they added.
Last year, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had requested Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to set up an airport at Paradip and discussed the matter with AAI and PPT officials.
In another development, Hota said security has been beefed up at the BPIA following an alert from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Saturday. The Air India’s Mumbai control centre received a phone call on Saturday threatening to hijack its plane. Following the phone call, BCAS has asked all airlines and CISF to follow specific enhanced measures to ensure security.
“Strict access control to regulate entry to terminal building, intensive checking and close surveillance are being carried out to ensure security,” the BPIA Director said.