Big Boost for Rourkela as Airport Expansion Plan Gets Final Approval, Master Plan Prepared

Rourkela,April 21:When the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, visits Rourkela, the aircraft bringing her from New Delhi will land at Jharsuguda Airport. From Jharsuguda, she will travel to Rourkela in another aircraft. This arrangement is being made because Rourkela Airport is currently a small-category airport.
Meanwhile, efforts have been accelerated to transfer Rourkela Airport to the Airports Authority of India and upgrade it to meet 4C license standards. Once this process is completed, operation of larger aircraft from Rourkela may become possible in the coming years.
 High-Level Meeting & Land Issues
A high-level meeting was held in Bhubaneswar last week, attended by officials from the central government, state government, and RSP (Rourkela Steel Plant). The meeting focused on speeding up the airport expansion and resolving land-related issues.
Currently, the airport is spread over about 140 acres and operates under a 2C license. To upgrade it to 4C category and enable operations of ATR-72 aircraft, expansion is necessary.
 Land Requirement & Impact
Additional 322 acres of land will be required.
As per the DGPS survey report:
Around 1,500 residential quarters in Sectors 13, 14, 15, and 17 will be demolished.
A DPS school, Sector-15 police station, and four religious places will be relocated.
A portion of the Sector-17 cricket ground may also fall within the airport boundary.
 Survey & Planning
On March 25 last year, a six-member team from AAI’s planning directorate visited Rourkela to study the requirements. They inspected areas near Omfed, Pradhanpali, DPS School, Sector-13 grounds, etc., and reviewed the prepared master plan.
Land Transfer & Development
Sources say that at least 300 additional acres are needed to make the airport 4C category. Out of the required land:
About 120–130 acres belong to Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
The remaining land is under the state government.
If SAIL transfers its land to the state government, it will then be handed over to AAI.
 Future Facilities
After the upgrade, the airport will have:
Capability for larger aircraft operations
Night landing facility (ILS system)
Solar power system
Terminal building with capacity for 250 passengers
Convention hall, cafeteria, lounge, and other modern amenities
The expansion of Rourkela Airport is now in its final planning stage. Once implemented, it will significantly improve air connectivity and infrastructure, though it involves major land acquisition and relocation challenges.