PUDUCHERRY: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a comprehensive master plan for the expansion of Puducherry Airport, paving the way for the operation of larger aircraft, including the Airbus A-320, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Rammohan Naidu, said in reply to a question raised by Puducherry Lok Sabha member V Vaithilingam. The plan includes extending the runway to 2,300 metres in length and 45 metres in width to handle larger flights, he said.
As per the proposal, a total of 402 acres of additional land will be required for the expansion. Of this, 217 acres fall under the jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu, while the remaining 185 acres are located within Puducherry. The Master Plan has already been shared with the Government of Puducherry for further implementation.
The runway alignment is being altered by a rotation of around 20 degrees in the master plan. This would facilitate the expansion of the present runway 1500 x 30 metres (which is capable of handling smaller aircrafts only) to get a total runway of 2,300x45 metres (suitable for operations of Airbus 321 and similar type of aircrafts).
The reorientation would not require huge earth filling as required in the previous master plan and would save cost and prevent environmental issues, government sources said.
Currently, Puducherry Airport offers flight services to only two destinations—Hyderabad and Bangalore. Following the repeal of the Air Corporation Act in March 1994, airlines now enjoy full freedom to expand operations, said the minister, answering another question on whether flights would be operated from Puducherry to Kochi and Shirdi.
AAI is in the process of engaging a consultant for preparing a land plan schedule, which will be shared with the centre and UT for land acquisition.