Bhubaneswar: Odisha's long wait for an international airport may finally end next year. The Centre is likely to accord the much sought after status to the Biju Patnaik Airport here within a few months, Union civil aviation secretary K N Srivastava said on Wednesday.
Sources said, during a meeting with chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Srivastava said once the airport's new terminal would be ready by mid-December and functional in January, the old terminal could be used for international flights.
"We would need two-three months to make necessary infrastructure arrangements (like immigration and custom check facilities) at the old terminal," Srivastava told media persons. "I don't think there should be any delay as the approval has already been given in principle," he added, pointing out that the Centre was looking at allowing overseas flights to the city from 2013.
Sources said Srivastava told the CM that the proposal for giving the airport an international tag should go to the Union cabinet in March-April.
22/11/12 Times of India
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Sources said, during a meeting with chief minister Naveen Patnaik, Srivastava said once the airport's new terminal would be ready by mid-December and functional in January, the old terminal could be used for international flights.
"We would need two-three months to make necessary infrastructure arrangements (like immigration and custom check facilities) at the old terminal," Srivastava told media persons. "I don't think there should be any delay as the approval has already been given in principle," he added, pointing out that the Centre was looking at allowing overseas flights to the city from 2013.
Sources said Srivastava told the CM that the proposal for giving the airport an international tag should go to the Union cabinet in March-April.
22/11/12 Times of India
