E-Paper
Budget allocation, min’s assurance spark hope for Dhalbhumgarh airport
Dhalbhumgarh airport project gains momentum with ₹100 crore funding in Union Budget-2026, awaiting clearance from Jharkhand government for swift progress.
Hopes for an early resumption of work on the Dhalbhumgarh airport project has been rekindled after it was placed in the Union Budget-2026 under the Udan Yojna and Union minister Bhupendra Yadav assuring instant clearance once the Jharkhand government sent replies to the queries by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (UMoEFC), people close to the matter said Tuesday.
The development assumes significance in the light of the fact that though the foundation stone for the project was laid in 2018-19, it couldn’t take off in view of land and forest clearance. The Union civil aviation ministry had sanctioned ₹100 crore at that time and an MoU was signed between the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). In fact the work on the 3.5 km approach road for the airport had started in 2024, post approval by the four out of six gram sabhas.
“Dhalbhumgarh (Jamshedpur) airport project has been taken up in this year’s general budget and ₹100 crore has been earmarked. I have met UMoEFC Bhupendra Yadav and he has assured me of instant clearance to the project as soon as the Jharkhand government sends the replies to the queries to the ministry. I hope and request CM Hemant Soren to look into it so that the rapid industrialisation and economic growth of Jharkhand can be achieved that was discussed in the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos recently. This airport will benefit the entire mining and industrial belt of Kolhan and connect with Khargapur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura in West Bengal and Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh in Odisha, thus developing an industrial and economic corridor in the region. All these districts are within 70-100 km radius of the proposed airport,” Bidyut Baran Mahato, Jamshedpur MP, told HT from Delhi on Tuesday.
The Union Budget-2026 has allotted ₹4,699.92 crore to the civil aviation ministry of which ₹550 crore has been allocated for regional connectivity scheme (RCS) UDAN.
The MP further said there was no hindrance of so-called criteria that a second airport couldn’t be built within 150 km distance from an existing commercial airport.
“What is the distance between Delhi airport and Noida airport? Moreover, Dhalbhumgarh airport can handle the excessive cargo burden and flight rush at Kolkata airport, especially at times when the latter is hit with water logging. It is financially feasible also, given the fact that 37% of the passenger load at Ranchi airport comes from Jamshedpur,” added Mahato.
Mahato said the existing airstrip was on 66 hectares and the proposed greenfield Dhalbhumgarh airport was to come up on 99.265 hectares. “It has a 2.1 km long West-East and 2.5 km long South-North runway, which is longer than the runway in Ranchi airport. Big aircraft like can easily land here which is not possible at the Tata Steel’s Sonari airport even after its proposed expansion. The initial operation at Dhalbhumgarh airport, however, is to start with ATR-72 aircraft for regional connectivity,” said Mahato.
Meanwhile, Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Manav Kedia has written to Union civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu, CM Hemant Soren and Tata Steel MD TV Narendran requesting to expedite the project.
“Jamshedpur, inspite of being the industrial and steel hub of international level, and with over 100 years of glorious historic, economic and industrial background, is still deprived of a commercial airport. How will there be essential of doing business if there is no air connectivity with other major cities? Industrialists, businessmen, professionals, education, management and medical related experts, specialists, common people - all have to go to Ranchi or Kolkata for catching flight to any major city of the country,” Kedia has written in his letter, copy of which is with HT.
He also suggested the Sonari airport be expanded for handling turboprop aircraft like HAL DO-228 to start flight services to Kolkata and other regional cities until the Dhalbhumgarh airport materialised.
