Ayodhya airport set for a high-flying era
With ‘mukut’ and bow & arrow, new Ayodhya station loaded with religious symbols
Ayodhya is all geared up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on December 30, with the city being decked up with flowers, murals and thematic ornamental columns amid heavy security deployment in the temple town. Divisional Commissioner of Ayodhya, Gaurav Dayal said preparations are in full swing for the visit and despite dense fog in the city in the last two days, all arrangements are on course.
Modi will visit the town on Saturday to inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and a new airport. He will address a public rally near the airport.
“”The prime minister is expected to reach Ayodhya airport somewhere around 10.45 am. After the landing, he will move straight to Ayodhya station where he will inaugurate the redeveloped railway station. He will then return to the airport, inaugurate the new airport and subsequently address a ‘jan sabha’ (public rally),” Dayal told PTI.
About 1.5 lakh people are expected to assemble for the rally that will last nearly an hour, after which the prime minister will depart from Ayodhya, he added.
AIRPORT AT A GLANCE
Construction of the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhyadham in UP began in February 2022. It is scheduled to be inaugurated by PM Modi on December 30.
Flight operations are set to begin on January 10, 2024. The initial flight from Delhi, originally planned for 10 am, will now depart at 9.50 am, with the first arrival in Ayodhya at 11 am, as per the revised inauguration day itinerary. Following the inaugural flight on Jan 30, regular daily flights from Delhi to Ayodhya will begin from Jan 10.
RAILWAY STATION
Modi will inaugurate Ayodhya’s new airport on December 30, along with a re-developed railway station, from where he will also flag off new superfast trains called Amrit Bharat trains and launch projects worth 11,100 crore for the development of the pilgrim town.
Further, the PM will lay the foundation of infrastructure projects, including the Lucknow-Ayodhya section of NH28 (new NH-27), modification of the Ayodhya bypass, the establishment of the CIPET centre, and the construction of offices for the Municipal Corporation Ayodhya.
The airport has a 2,200-metre runway to accommodate large aircraft like the Boeing 737, Airbus 319, and Airbus 320. The airport has a two-story structure and can handle over 750 passengers and four aircraft movements per hour. The airport is wheelchair accessible, with a wheelchairaccessible entry and car park.
FLIGHT OPERATIONS
IndiGo and Air India Express will operate the first flights from the Ayodhya airport. The two airlines have already announced services from Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad to Ayodhya, starting from January 2024.
FIRST PHASE
The first phase of the airport’s development has incurred a cost of over `1,450 crore. The terminal building, covering an area of 6,500 sqm, is designed to cater to 10 lakh passengers annually.
FUTURE PLANS
The airport’s design accommodates 600 peak-hour passengers, with an annual handling capacity of 10 lakh passengers. According to sources, the second phase of development will involve the construction of a new terminal spanning 50,000 sqm. This terminal is expected to handle 3,000 passengers during peak hours and accommodate 60 lakh flyers yearly.