BHUBANESWAR: AMID government’s push to increase international flight operations for promoting tourism and business in the state, construction work of link building at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) is underway in full swing.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan said, “Construction work of the link building between terminal 1 (domestic) and terminal 2 (international) is expected to be completed in a month. Once operational, international flights will arrive at link building and depart from terminal 2.”
This assumes significance as flight operations between Bhubaneswar and Dubai has been scheduled for three days in a week starting May 15. Direct flights from BPIA to Bangkok and Singapore are expected to run from June 3.
IndiGo Airlines will fly between Bhubaneswar and Dubai on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and its airbus (320 and 321) will arrive and depart from terminal 2 until the link building is operational. Spread over 12,000 sq ft area, the foundation stone of the building was laid in February 2019. Construction work of the link building had taken a hit after its roof collapsed on January 24, 2020. The mishap had also claimed the life of a worker.
BPIA officials said the airport’s capabilities will be further enhanced as Bharat Electronics has begun installing air traffic control automation systems in the new technical block-cum-ATC tower of the airport.
“Air traffic control automation systems were earlier procured from a Spain-based firm ‘Indra’ for a period of 10 years. However, Bharat Electronics has manufactured the systems for the new ATC tower under Make in India initiative,” said a BPIA official.
The trial of the new systems will most likely start in a month and all operations will shift to the new ATC in a phased manner, he added.BPIA has been witnessing a rise in the footfall of passengers post-Covid. On an average, over 40 flights are operating everyday from BPIA with a footfall of 12,000 to 14,000 passengers. However, the delay in starting the re-carpeting work remains a major cause of concern. Re-carpeting of the runway was last done in 2007 and the work was postponed twice in 2019 and 2020.