Odisha's Bhubaneswar airport to get a second terminal in 2 years

Odisha's Bhubaneswar airport is all set to get a new terminal next to the existing one. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who was on a visit to Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International airport for a review, told media persons about the construction of a new terminal building eyeing the rising passenger demand at the current airport. 

At present, the single terminal Biju Patnaik airport has a capacity of handling 40-50 lakh passengers annually. "This capacity will double up to 80 lakh passengers after the new terminal building comes up," Naidu said.

Giving more information on the construction of the new terminal building, the ministry also said that the new building will be adjacent to the existing terminal and will be built within the next two years. 

"Work of runway CAT II lights will be completed in a month while other ongoing small works will be completed too," Naidu added. 

Bhubaneswar airport is connected to 20 domestic and 4 international destinations. However, eyeing the steady rise in passenger traffic and the increasing socio-economic structure of the capital of Odisha, the MoCA decided to draw a blueprint for civil aviation for the next decade. 

"While the new terminal will be constructed, arrangements will be made considering the needs of both domestic and international passengers. The airport needs to be connected to destinations like Jammu, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, etc," Naidu said.

Currently, the ministry is considering the demand for increased domestic connectivity and decision will soon be taken after talks with stakeholders.

As part of the RCA-UDAN scheme, tremendous progress has been made to the Tier III airports in Odisha like Jharsuguda, Utkela, Jeypore and Rourkela over the last decade. Apart from this, the state government has initiated the land acquisition process for the proposed international airport in Puri. 

The Centre has already given clearance for this airport and the ministry has extended its complete support to the Odisha government to ensure the timely completion of the airport.