BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar will soon get a new terminal, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu informed on Friday.
After his review BPIA's operations, Naidu told mediapersons that the annual passenger handling capacity of BPIA's terminal-1 is 40 lakh but it is experiencing a footfall of about 50 lakh now. "Within a month, permission will be given to the airport to augment its footfall capacity to 80 lakh by constructing a new terminal," he said.
There is unused land near terminal-1 and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had requested to develop it to enhance airport's infrastructure. It has been decided to construct terminal-3 on the vacant land. If the new facility is ready in two years, then airport's passenger handling capacity will increase significantly, added Naidu.
The Civil Aviation Minister also informed that the process to install a category-II instrument landing system (ILS) is currently underway at BPIA and will soon be operational. He directed the officials to complete some other ongoing developmental works within a month.
Naidu held discussions with Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials to discuss plans to further enhance the infrastructure and facilities of the airport.
"Bhubaneswar airport has developed a lot in recent years and is connected to at least 20 cities as well as four international destinations. There is a double-engine government now and all efforts are being made to take forward the civil aviation industry in Odisha. The development drive has been launched from Bhubaneswar," he said.
As BPIA is in the state capital and its passenger footfall is continuously increasing, its developmental activities are being planned keeping in view its requirements in the next 10 to 20 years, added Naidu.