The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved the Airports Authority of India’s proposal to develop a Greenfield Airport at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan, at an estimated cost of ₹1,507 crore, paving the way for better aviation infrastructure in the state’s industrial and educational hub.
A PIB release states, Kota, situated on the banks of the Chambal River, is recognised as the industrial capital of Rajasthan. In addition, Kota is renowned as the educational coaching hub of India.
The Government of Rajasthan has transferred 440.06 hectares of land to Airport Authority of India (AAI) for development of a Greenfield Airport, suitable for operation of Airbus A-321 type aircraft.
The project includes construction of a Terminal Building spanning an area of 20,000 sqm capable of handling 1000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP) with yearly capacity of 2 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA).
Kota’s prominence in educational and industrial sectors makes the airport a critical infrastructure project, aimed at addressing the anticipated traffic growth in the region.
Odisha highway project
The union cabinet on Tuesday approved the construction of a six-lane, 111-km-long access-controlled Capital Region Ring Road in Odisha, or Bhubaneswar Bypass, at a total capital cost of ₹8307.74 crore in hybrid annuity mode.
{{/usCountry}}The union cabinet on Tuesday approved the construction of a six-lane, 111-km-long access-controlled Capital Region Ring Road in Odisha, or Bhubaneswar Bypass, at a total capital cost of ₹8307.74 crore in hybrid annuity mode.
{{/usCountry}}The ring road will connect Rameshwar with Tangi, which is on the existing Chennai-Kolkata national highway experiencing significant congestion due to high traffic volumes, passing through cities of Khordha, Bhubaneswar, and Cuttack.
The project will provide significant benefit to Odisha and other eastern states by diverting heavy commercial traffic away from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Khordha and enhancing the efficiency of freight movement, reducing logistics cost, and driving socio-economic growth in the region, a PIB release said. The project alignment integrates three major National Highways (NH-55, NH-57, and NH-655) and a state highway (SH-65), providing seamless connectivity to key economic, social, and logistics nodes across Odisha. Additionally, the corridor will connect Khordha Railway Station, Bhubaneswar airport, two major ports at Puri and Astrang, the PIB release added.
The existing Kota Airport is owned by Airports Authority of India (AAI), has a 1.2km long runway that is suitable for Code ‘B’ aircraft such as the turboprop Dornier 228. The terminal building spans an area of 400 sqm and is capable of handling 50 passengers during peak hours. The existing airport cannot be developed for commercial operations due to inadequate land availability and urbanisation around the airport, states the release.
A tripartite MoU between the Airports Authority of India, Urban Development Department, and Civil Aviation Department regarding the development of Kota Greenfield Airport was inked In July 2024.
The land allocated for the airport is located in Bundi district within the perimeter of Kota Development Authority. Out of this, 406.678 hectares of forest land and 33.408 hectares of non-forest land is owned by Kota Development Authority.