BHUBANESWAR: Union Civil Aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday said that the seaplane service will likely be extended to Odisha’s Chilika lake and other parts of the eastern coast.
Addressing the Eastern Region Ministers’ Conference on Civil Aviation, Naidu said, seaplane services can be started on any waterbody where the depth is more than 5 ft with 200 metre of landing space. “The central government has simplified the guidelines to operate seaplane services and the ministry is all set to implement it across the country by October. We will have two seaplanes operating either on the Andaman & Nicobar, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh network. The service could also be extended to Chilika lake and the entire eastern coast,” he said.
Later briefing mediapersons after inaugurating the pocket-friendly Udaan Yatri Cafe at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), the minister said Odisha has around 20 airstrips which can be developed into airports with the availability of land and cooperation from the state government.
“We also want to start heliports where airports cannot be built. In hilly regions and the northeast region, we want to have at least one heliport in every district,” he said.
Highlighting Odisha’s growing aviation prospects, the minister said the proposed terminal-3 at Biju Patnaik Internation Airport is currently in the planning stage and will be fast-tracked to cater to the rising passenger load.
On the long-awaited Puri airport project, he confirmed that site clearance has already been granted. “With Lord Jagannath’s blessings, we hope the Puri airport will become a reality soon,” the minister said, adding that construction work will be undertaken by the state government. He assured that every possible support will be provided to develop Odisha’s aviation infrastructure.
Minister of state for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol was also present during the inauguration of Udaan Cafe at BPIA.