AAI chairman visits Patna airport to review ongoing infrastructure development works

Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Arvind Singh recently visited JPNI airport in Patna to review the ongoing civil aviation infrastructure development projects in Bihar.

Singh was accompanied by AK Pathak, Member (Planning), AAI and other senior officers from the corporate headquarters, New Delhi, reads a statement from the AAI.

Singh held extensive discussions with the senior officers of AAI about the ongoing works at Patna airport and other airports of Bihar including plans to explore possibilities to develop other small airports in the state.

The AAI Chairman also met Deepak Kumar, Chief Secretary of Bihar government in the presence of Principal Secretary and senior officers of the state government.During the meeting, Singh assured that the ongoing development works of Patna's new terminal building and extension/modification works of the existing terminal building will be completed expeditiously.

He said that the expansion/modification work of the current terminal building will be given priority as it will give a big relief to the travelling passengers in terms of less waiting time at queues at various passenger processing points, the statement added.The AAI chairman also took up the critical issues relating to requirement of 16.5 acres of government land for installation of new navigational aid DVOR and construction of isolation bay (used for parking of aircraft with suspected bomb threat or hijack situation) as well an NOC (no objection certificate) from Patna Zoo and Road Construction Department for the installation of 720 m CAT-I Approach Lighting System (ALS), stated the AAI.

The state government has assured that 16.5 acres of government land will be transferred to the AAI to meet the critical requirement and working permission will be issued to the AAI as soon as possible so that work can be immediately started.

The NOC for installation of 720m lights will also be issued at the earliest. The installation of 720m CAT-I ALS will enable landing of aircraft during poor visibility conditions (up to visibility/RVR as low as 750 m which at present is 1000 m), the statement read.At present, due to infrastructure constraints, maximum five flights are accepted per hour at Patna airport. As new infrastructure is being developed by the AAI at a cost of approximately Rs 1,200 crore at Patna airport, additional land requirements were also discussed to increase the airport's aircraft handling capacity proportionate to the new terminal building capacity being created, which is eight million passengers per annum.

After the extension work, the number of flights handled per hour will increase to 10. To this effect, the proposal for the construction of Parallel Taxi Track (PTT), which requires 19 acres of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) land and six acres of government land, was also discussed.The AAI chairman also discussed the progress of Bihta airport for which the tender process is likely to be completed soon and the AAI will be creating the infrastructure keeping into consideration that in future bigger aircraft can be operated at Bihta.

Singh further impressed upon the state government that for bigger aircraft to land in future at Bihta, the existing Indian Air Force (IAF) runway needs to be extended from existing 8,200 feet to 12,000 feet for which additional land of approximately 192 acres is required.Singh also held interactions with all the stakeholders at the airport and took their suggestions on improvements that can be made possible at Patna airport. He requested all stakeholders to act as ambassadors of the AAI in disseminating information about the passengers' facilities being created by the AAI at Patna airport.

All stakeholders appreciated the works done in the last six months by the team of the AAI at Patna airport, AAI statement read.Singh, while departing for Delhi, also inaugurated a new car rental and maxi cab counter of the airport. This facility will now provide ease to the arriving passengers in terms of transport facility of their choice.