Beckoning a major breakthrough for beginning of much-awaited flight operations here, the Jharsuguda Airport has received a 4-C category license for running bigger planes like Airbus-320 and Boeing 747.
Director of the Airport, SK Chouhan informed that with the 4-C category license from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Boeing and Airbus-320 type planes can now begin flight operations at the airport.
“The airport is now ready for flight operations. We are awaiting the nod from Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and once companies are set up here, flights can begin,” said Chouhan.
Two months earlier, the DGCA had granted 2-B category license to the airport for running smaller planes.
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Even as sources had informed that the airport was likely to be inaugurated in July, uncertainty continued to loom large over it.
Asked about the matter, the airport director said he is unspecified about the exact date of inauguration. “We don’t have any information whether flight operations will begin first or the inauguration,” he said.
A few days ago, another controversy had surfaced over naming the airport.
On July 26, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha denied receiving any proposal in the form of a resolution from the State government even as Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, on June 15, had written a letter to the Centre urging him to name the new airport after freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.
Sinha stated that naming of an airport is done on the basis of a resolution passed by the State Assembly but the state government has not sent any resolution.
It is to be noted that the airport has been built under the Centre’s UDAN scheme at a cost of Rs 200 crore which includes Odisha government’s share of Rs 75 crore.
