Puducherry Airport Growth Grasp Plan Unveiled – Particulars | Mobility Information
Puducherry: The Union Authorities on Thursday introduced {that a} complete grasp plan has been ready for increasing Puducherry airport, with provisions to allow operations of bigger plane and the potential introduction of recent flight routes primarily based on industrial viability. Responding to a query within the Lok Sabha from Puducherry MP and Pradesh Congress Committee president V. Vaithilingam, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu stated that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has formulated a proposal to improve the airport’s infrastructure.
The plan contains extending the runway to 2,300 metres in size and 45 metres in width, which might enable operations of Airbus A320 plane, generally used for home industrial aviation. To facilitate this enlargement, a complete of 402 acres of land shall be required – 217 acres in Tamil Nadu and 185 acres throughout the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The proposal has already been shared with the Puducherry authorities for additional motion, the Union Minister stated. At the moment, the airport operates restricted providers, providing flights solely to Bangalore and Hyderabad. MP Vaithilingam had particularly inquired whether or not steps have been being taken to begin new flights to Kochi and Shirdi.
In response, Union Minister Naidu clarified that the aviation sector in India is deregulated, following the repeal of the Air Company Act in 1994. In consequence, airways have full autonomy to pick out their locations and routes primarily based on industrial and operational issues.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation doesn’t regulate routes or locations. Airways are free to provoke providers to any metropolis, together with Kochi and Shirdi, if discovered viable. The federal government solely facilitates infrastructure and regulatory frameworks,” he stated.
The Puducherry Airport has lengthy confronted limitations as a result of brief size of its current runway and land constraints, limiting its operations to smaller plane. The proposed enlargement is predicted to be a game-changer for the area, enabling higher connectivity, boosting tourism, and enhancing financial growth in and round Puducherry.
Officers from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu are anticipated to work carefully with the Centre to deal with land acquisition and associated logistical challenges because the challenge strikes ahead.
