Govt to expand Puducherry Airport - K Lakshminarayanan
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

Govt to expand Puducherry Airport - K Lakshminarayanan

On Wednesday, the Minister of Tourism, K Lakshminarayanan, told the media that the government has proposed to expand the Puducherry Airport to allow bigger aircraft to land.

The Puducherry government aims to change Puducherry Airport into an all-weather airport as part of its initiatives for the operation of more scheduled flights from the union territory and the recovery of flights on existing routes.

K Lakshminarayanan, who also owns the Tourism portfolio, conducted a review meeting with the airport director and other officials and inspected the airport. He said that initially, efforts would be taken to get a provisional licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by complying with the provisions to the extent possible.

About 70% of the necessities for an all-weather airport have been met already, and efforts are taken to satisfy all the necessities by giving land throughout the runway to an extent of 70 acres and by procuring land from Tamil Nadu for extension of the runway. It is to guarantee that flights can land and take off under all weather conditions and for the operation of larger flights.

In a few areas in the runway near the sewage treatment plant and Navarkulam, since buildings are built, only 90 metres of space is free from the centre of the runway, instead of the 140-metre necessity of a no-construction zone on both sides of the runway.

The Puducherry government will provide the available land near the runway to AAI to fulfil the need to the extent possible and obtain a temporary licence. Later, after the land acquisition from Tamil Nadu, the requirements for a 140-metre no-construction zone could be satisfied by enlarging the runway, said Lakshminarayanan.

The existing runway length of 1502 metres is intended to be enlarged to 3330 metres for the bigger craft operation. In the first phase, the government will attempt to procure 104 acres of land from Tamil Nadu and the next 270 acres.

Lakshminarayanan said that he would call on M K Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in this regard, and take the help of Villupuram Lok Sabha member D Ravi Kumar, in conducting a meeting with the Villupuram District Collector and officials of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to work out the land procurement.

Lakshminarayan said that besides, to comply with other conditions of an all-weather airport, the height of trees and hoardings on the landing path of the aircraft near the Pondicherry-Tindivanam highway will be decreased with the help of Villupuram district officials.

The additional technical conditions like lighting will be taken care of by the Airport Authority of India. The facility of establishing night landings would be taken up with DGCA.

The working of scheduled flights from Puducherry Airport by its only flight operator SpiceJet, paused in March 2020. Now flight operators IndiGo, Spice Jet, Air Alliance and Trujet have displayed interest in running flights to places like Cochin, Salem, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Invitations are being sent to the operators to engage in a meeting in this concern, he said.

Image Source


Also read: AAI spends Rs 17,784 cr in last 5 years to renovate airports

Also read: Haryana government to invest Rs 946 cr for Hisar Airport

Your next big infra connection is waiting at RAHSTA 2025 – Asia’s Biggest Roads & Highways Expo, Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Don’t miss out!

On Wednesday, the Minister of Tourism, K Lakshminarayanan, told the media that the government has proposed to expand the Puducherry Airport to allow bigger aircraft to land. The Puducherry government aims to change Puducherry Airport into an all-weather airport as part of its initiatives for the operation of more scheduled flights from the union territory and the recovery of flights on existing routes. K Lakshminarayanan, who also owns the Tourism portfolio, conducted a review meeting with the airport director and other officials and inspected the airport. He said that initially, efforts would be taken to get a provisional licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by complying with the provisions to the extent possible. About 70% of the necessities for an all-weather airport have been met already, and efforts are taken to satisfy all the necessities by giving land throughout the runway to an extent of 70 acres and by procuring land from Tamil Nadu for extension of the runway. It is to guarantee that flights can land and take off under all weather conditions and for the operation of larger flights. In a few areas in the runway near the sewage treatment plant and Navarkulam, since buildings are built, only 90 metres of space is free from the centre of the runway, instead of the 140-metre necessity of a no-construction zone on both sides of the runway. The Puducherry government will provide the available land near the runway to AAI to fulfil the need to the extent possible and obtain a temporary licence. Later, after the land acquisition from Tamil Nadu, the requirements for a 140-metre no-construction zone could be satisfied by enlarging the runway, said Lakshminarayanan. The existing runway length of 1502 metres is intended to be enlarged to 3330 metres for the bigger craft operation. In the first phase, the government will attempt to procure 104 acres of land from Tamil Nadu and the next 270 acres. Lakshminarayanan said that he would call on M K Stalin, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in this regard, and take the help of Villupuram Lok Sabha member D Ravi Kumar, in conducting a meeting with the Villupuram District Collector and officials of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to work out the land procurement. Lakshminarayan said that besides, to comply with other conditions of an all-weather airport, the height of trees and hoardings on the landing path of the aircraft near the Pondicherry-Tindivanam highway will be decreased with the help of Villupuram district officials. The additional technical conditions like lighting will be taken care of by the Airport Authority of India. The facility of establishing night landings would be taken up with DGCA. The working of scheduled flights from Puducherry Airport by its only flight operator SpiceJet, paused in March 2020. Now flight operators IndiGo, Spice Jet, Air Alliance and Trujet have displayed interest in running flights to places like Cochin, Salem, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Invitations are being sent to the operators to engage in a meeting in this concern, he said. Image Source Also read: AAI spends Rs 17,784 cr in last 5 years to renovate airports Also read: Haryana government to invest Rs 946 cr for Hisar Airport

Next Story
Real Estate

Vitizen Hotels Signs Deal at Manyata Tech Park

Vikram Kamats Hospitality, as part of its ongoing expansion in key metropolitan markets, announced that its material subsidiary, Vitizen Hotels, has signed a long-term lease agreement for a 45-key hotel property at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru.Strategically located in the city’s prominent IT hub, the property is well-positioned to serve corporate travelers, business professionals, and long-stay guests. The addition aligns with the company’s asset-light growth model, leveraging long-term leases to expand its footprint in high-demand urban markets.The hotel is expected to strengthen the comp..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

CONCOR Signs MoU with BPIPL to Operate Container Terminal at Bhavnagar Port

Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure (BPIPL) on September 4, 2025, in New Delhi to operate and maintain the upcoming container terminal at the northside of Bhavnagar Port, Gujarat.BPIPL had earlier entered into an agreement with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) in September 2024 for the port’s development. Under this arrangement, 235 hectares of land has been leased to BPIPL for 30 years, with provision for expansion by an additional 250 hectares.The new terminal is expected to significantly enhance logistic..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Concord Launches India’s First Indigenous Zero-Emission Rail Propulsion

Concord Control Systems (CCSL), a leader in embedded electronics and critical rail technologies, has announced the development of India’s first fully indigenous zero-emission propulsion system, marking a significant step toward the country’s railway electrification and net-zero goals for 2030.Powered by Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries and featuring a DC chopper-based drive, the propulsion system eliminates idling losses common in diesel engines, offering higher efficiency, lower costs, and zero emissions.What sets this innovation apart is its completely indigenous design. Except for..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?