Ayodhya airport inauguration will be historic day for India: Scindia

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said tomorrow (Saturday) will be a historic day for the country with the inauguration of the Ayodhya airport, which will be expanded hugely in the second phase by augmenting overall area and increasing the runway length.

The Ayodhya airport, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, is built over an area of 6,500 square metres. In an interview, Scindia said the connectivity from the Ayodhya airport will only grow in the days to come. "There is tremendous potential with civil aviation across the country providing capability and especially for Ayodhya which is religiously and spiritually entwined in our hearts," he said. According to him, the second phase of the airport project will be hugely expansive going from the 6,500 square metres facility to 50,000 square metres. "We are expanding the runway to 3,750 metres which is good enough for international flights," he added.

The first phase of the Ayodhya airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. The airport's terminal building has an area of 6,500 square metres and can serve around 10 lakh passengers annually. "Tomorrow is going to be a historic day not only for civil aviation, not only for the city of Ayodhya, not only for Uttar Pradesh, not only for India but all of those who believe in the vibrancy and the commitment from our souls towards Hinduism when the Ayodhya airport will be inaugurated by the prime minister," Scindia said.

An official said the Ayodhya airport will be named as 'Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham' and a notification in this regard is likely to be issued soon. A release issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday said, the airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism, business activities and employment opportunities. The airport, which received the aerodrome licence from aviation regulator DGCA on December 14, has a 2,200 metres long runway and is suitable for day and night operations as well as during low visibility conditions of more than 550 metres, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said earlier this month.

The facade of the terminal building depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir. "The interiors of the terminal building are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Bhagwan Shri Ram. The terminal building of Ayodhya airport is also equipped with various sustainability features like insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rain water harvesting, landscaping with fountains, water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, solar power plant...," the release said on Thursday.

Earlier this month, IndiGo said it will operate the inaugural flight from the national capital to Ayodhya airport on December 30 and the commercial services will commence from January 6.