The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) proposal for the development of a Greenfield Airport at Kota-Bundi, Rajasthan, at an estimated cost of Rs 15.07 billion.

Kota, located on the banks of the Chambal River, is widely recognised as the industrial capital of Rajasthan and a prominent educational coaching hub. To support the region’s growing needs, the Government of Rajasthan has handed over 440.06 hectares of land to AAI for the project.

The new Greenfield Airport will be designed to handle operations of A-321 type aircraft. It will feature a terminal building spread over 20,000 square metres with the capacity to manage 1,000 peak-hour passengers and an annual throughput of 2 million passengers. The project will also include a 3,200-metre runway, an apron with seven parking bays, two link taxiways, an ATC-cum-technical block, a fire station, car parking facilities, and other allied infrastructure.

Kota’s strategic role in both the education and industrial sectors makes this airport a crucial infrastructure project. It is expected to significantly enhance air connectivity and address the growing passenger traffic in the region.

At present, Kota has a smaller airport under AAI with a 1,220-metre runway suitable only for Code ‘B’ aircraft, such as the DO-228. Its terminal building spans just 400 square metres, capable of accommodating only 50 passengers during peak hours. The existing site is unsuitable for further development due to land constraints and urbanisation around the airport, necessitating the establishment of the new Greenfield facility. 

News source: PIB