BERHAMPUR: Plans are afoot to develop state’s second flying training institute at Rangeilunda airstrip in Ganjam district by the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Recently, officials from the Ministry visited the airstrip and held discussions with the engineers of the Works Department here in the presence of Ganjam District Collector V K Pandian.
A senior pilot of the Ministry also visited the site last month and directed the Works engineer to develop it as a Visual Flight Rule (VFR) airstrip. He also urged the Collector to provide two houses for the Pilot Training Institute which was accepted by Pandian.
The airstrip has 720 metre runway facility besides a large parking area. According to Collector, the Works Department recently constructed the boundary wall, which is one of the components for the pilot training institute, besides the administration is ready to provide all the required infrastructure.
Collector Pandian informed that work has already begun to develop the airstrip as VFR airstrip and all the relative reports are expected to be submitted soon. After this, Rangeilunda would the second pilot training institute in the state after Bhubaneswar where 80 students are pursuing training at present.
The Ministry mooted the second flying training institute in Orissa following traffic congestion at the Biju Patnaik Airport in Bhubaneswar. Around 50 per cent of the students from Bhubaneswar would be diverted to the proposed institute at Rangeilunda.
The District Collector has urged the Berhampur University authorities to arrange for houses on the varsity campus adjacent to the airstrip. “Accordingly, two quarters have been kept ready for the purpose,” informed Vice-Chancellor of Berhampur University Bijay Kumar Sahu.