Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, while flagging off the first tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya, said that Uttar Pradesh will have five more airports soon. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had also participated in the flagging off ceremony, thanked the Modi government for establishing the new Ayodhya airport, the fourth by the government.
When the Modi government took over, Uttar Pradesh had only six airports, said Scindia. From six in 2014, Uttar Pradesh now has 10 airports, including the Ayodhya airport, the minister said. Scindia said Uttar Pradesh was connected to 18 cities in 2014, which has now increased to 41.
Uttar Pradesh had 700 flight movements in 2014 per week, which has now increased to 1,654 air traffic movements now. Scindia said that it is an increase of 137 per cent.
“Uttar Pradesh had six operational airports in 2014, which has increased to 10 operational airports, including Ayodhya. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, very soon five new airports – Aligarh, Azamgarh, Shravasti, Chitrakoot and Moradabad – will be inaugurated in the next month,” said Scindia, adding that the Jewar international airport that is under construction will be operational by year-end. He said that Jewar airport will have a capacity of 1.20 crore people.
He also spoke of the new civil terminal at Kanpur that was inaugurated last year. Scindia said that airports in Meerut, Mirpur and Sarsawa will also be made operational soon.
The new Ayodhya airport, ‘Maharishi Valmiki International Airport’, is the country’s 68th terminal to come under the umbrella of the specialised Aviation Security Group (ASG). Ahead of January 22 when the Ram temple will be inaugurated, the Central Industrial Security Force took charge of the Ayodhya airport. The CISF deployed 150 personnel.
Scindia had said last year that the capacity of the Ayodhya airport will be enhanced gradually. “In the first phase, the airport will be spread across 65,000 square feet. Its capacity will be to handle two to three flights every hour. Work is on to build a 2,200-metre runway. It means that Boeing 737 and Airbus 319 and 320 will be able to land at the airport. Initially, there is an airport apron for eight aircraft,” Scindia had told reporters.
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