Odisha Govt: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Feb 18: The Odisha government has formally proposed upgrading Rourkela Airport to accommodate 4C CAT 1 Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations, considering the city’s growing economic and industrial potential.
In a letter to Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Vipin Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Commerce and Transport Department, Usha Padhee, emphasized the need for infrastructure enhancement. She stated that the Directorate of Aviation had already worked out the basic requirements for the upgrade, which would align with the city’s expansion needs.
The move follows a recent high-level meeting between Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. In her letter dated February 15, Padhee requested AAI to prepare a master plan and conduct an Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) survey, with the state government agreeing to bear the costs.
The proposed master plan includes extending the runway to 2,700 meters in length and 45 meters in width, installing a Doppler Very High-Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) system, and integrating a CAT 1 Instrument Landing System (ILS). These improvements would enable the airport to handle Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft, facilitating operations both day and night.
AAI defines CAT 1 operations as precision instrument landings with a decision height of at least 60 meters (200 feet) and visibility conditions not lower than 800 meters or a runway visual range of at least 550 meters. The airport expansion requires acquiring 278 acres from SAIL and an additional 44 acres of private land.
