Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited Jharsuguda airport will be operational from July 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the airport, from where regional flights under the UDAN scheme would start flying. An attempt is on to have the Rourkela airport operational on the same day too.
While the original plan was to have the Jharsuguda airport operational with regional connectivity services (RCS) under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik scheme June 20, the date was changed according to the PM’s availability.
Built on an area of 909.22 acres at a cost of `175crore, the state government has put in `50crore for the airport. It would host A320 Airbus with a maximum capacity of 180 passengers.
Air Odisha would launch its flights from Jharsuguda to Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Raipur. The airliner has, in its initial phase, bought a 21-seater twin-engine Beechcraft 1990D aircraft for this purpose.
Works on construction of the Utkela airstrip near Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district and Jeypore airstrip in Koraput district are under way. These airstrips too would have regional connectivity services under the UDAN scheme.
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