Ayodhya airport to be ready by Dec 15: Yogi

CM, Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, VK Singh inspect under-construction Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport

Guests will be able to directly land in Ayodhya for the pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla on January 22 next year as chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced that construction work of the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in the pilgrim town will be completed by December 15.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath with Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Ayodhya on Saturday. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be chief guest at the consecration ceremony.

Adityanath, along with Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union minister of state General (retd) VK Singh, was in Ayodhya to inspect the under-construction international airport.

“Ayodhya airport will be ready by December 15,” Adityanath told journalists after the inspection on Saturday.

“Earlier, only 178 acre land was available for the Ayodhya airport. Now, the state government has made available 821-acre land to the Airports Authority of India for the airport,” the chief minister said.

Adityanath also said the date for the airport’s inauguration will be finalised by the prime minister.

Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said: “Ayodhya’s airport will reflect its culture.”

“In the first phase, a 65,000-square-feet terminal is under construction with a capacity to handle two-three flights per hour,” Scindia said.

“A 2200-metre runway is coming up to facilitate landing of large aircraft like Boeing 737, Airbus 319, and Airbus 320 in addition to smaller aircraft,” he added.

In the first phase, there will be eight aprons at the airport for the parking of aircraft.

The Union minister also shared details of the second phase of the Ayodhya international airport.

“Soon, approval will be taken from the cabinet for the second phase of the airport,” Scindia said.

“In the second phase, the airport’s runway will be increased from 2200 metres to 3700 metres. This will help all international flights land directly in Ayodhya, including Boeing 787 and Boeing 777,” Scindia said.

In the second phase, the airport’s terminal building will be spread over 5 lakh squre feet, he added.

AYODHYA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

FIRST PHASE

Runway: 22,00 sq metre

Terminal building: 65,000 sq feet

Aircraft: Boeing 737, Airbus 319, 320 and smaller aircraft

Two-three flights per hour

SECOND PHASE

Runway: 3700 metres

Terminal building: 5 lakh sq feet

Aircraft: Boeing 787- 777 (Int’l flights)