ROURKELA: In a significant move, the Odisha government has selected RITES Ltd as a consultant to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for the expansion of Rourkela, Jeypore (Koraput), and Amarda Road (Mayurbhanj) airports, targeting Code 3C commercial operation licences. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) reportedly backtracked on its promises to take the expansion works forward.
The Department of Commerce & Transport’s letter to RITES Ltd on November 15, 2023, confirmed the government’s acceptance of their offer for DPR preparation, each costing Rs 1.10 crore excluding GST. Aviation advisor, Directorate of Aviation, Suresh Chandra Hota, will oversee the project.
This decision follows a letter from Usha Padhee, principal secretary of the Commerce and Transport department, to AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar on July 4, 2023, urging the preparation of DPRs for Rourkela and Jeypore airports.The government, expressing willingness to bear charges, sought details for upgrading these airports to the 3C licence category.
Former general secretary of Steel Executives’ Federation of India (SEFI), Bimal Bisi, commended the government’s initiative, thanking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He urged prioritising Rourkela airport’s upgrade and suggested a full takeover from SAIL for seamless operations. Bisi highlighted the high demand on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route, with 90 percent occupancy on Alliance Air’s ATR-72 flights.
However, cancellations persist due to the lack of Instrument Landing System (ILS) and night landing facilities. Notably, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has operated the Rourkela airport of SAIL under an MoU for three years, with SAIL annually covering around Rs 4 crore in operation costs. The AAI spent approximately Rs 28 crore until December 2022 for upgrading the airport to Code 2C, with plans for further expansion to Code 3C temporarily on hold.
Despite initial plans, the 19-seater aircraft promised by Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia for the Rourkela-Kolkata route did not materialise before the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023.