The aviation sector is all set to take flight in Uttar Pradesh, with 3 new international airports anticipated to be created operational in the next 3 years. While the Jewar international airport, which is coming up in the NCR area and is anticipated to be prepared by 2023, will lower congestion at the Delhi airport, the Ayodhya international airport and Kushinagar international airport are most likely to enhance the improvement of the economically backward eastern area of the state, apart from facilitating religious tourism to these planet-well-known websites.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 200 crore for the Kushinagar airport, which got the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA’s) approval not too long ago, as a result becoming the third licensed international airport in UP right after Lucknow and Varanasi. International flights are most likely to commence quickly at the Kushinagar airport.
“India is in talks with the Sri Lanka government for the country sending the first international flight to the newly upgraded Kushinagar airport. We expect the inaugural flight to happen soon. Though domestic air travel has picked up remarkably, we are waiting for international travel to revive, so that we can start regular operations at Kushinagar,” says Vishak G, unique secretary, civil aviation, adding that getting situated strategically close to the Nepal border and also close to Bihar would let Kushinagar to turn out to be an excellent location for Buddhist pilgrims from inside the nation as nicely as across the planet.
“Kushinagar is an important historical site as Buddha is said to have attained Mahaparinirvana there. It is also the mid-point of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Sarnath and Gaya. Every day thousands of tourists from countries like Thailand, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Singapore, apart from domestic tourists, visit the site. Apart from facilitating international tourism, the airport can cater to domestic passengers, including the thousands of migrant workers from the area who work in the Middle East as well as in other parts of the country,” he says.
The upcoming state-of-the-art international airport at Ayodhya, renamed Maryada Purushottam Sriram Airport, has also got the Union government’s nod. The state government has currently authorized Rs 1,076 crore for the project, when the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has sanctioned Rs 242 crore.
Around 270 acres of land has been created out there by the state government for the initially phase of the airport’s improvement. Commenting on the problem, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has mentioned it would enhance tourism in the area and also facilitate travel on the Buddhist circuit.
While the initially phase of the Ayodhya airport project would see operations of ATR72 aircraft, the state government is acquiring an extra 558 acres to sooner or later let the use of wide-bodied aircraft. Construction work for the initially phase of the project is in complete swing, with services anticipated to get started early next year.
“Both the airport projects are crucial to the region’s development. The operationalisation of these airports will help bring in investment, establish industries and create employment opportunities in the eastern part of the state, ensuring its social and economic development,” the official says.
The state government has currently began a huge facelift and beautification programme to transform Ayodhya into a planet-class city, with unique concentrate on landscaping and riverfront improvement of the Saryu river. A greenfield city spread more than 1,200 acres is also getting constructed to let Ayodhya to present a modern day face to the planet. The urban renewal and airport projects will let tourism to be leveraged as an engine of Ayodhya’s development.