In a notable development, RITES has been chosen by the Odisha government to act as a consultant for the formulation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) aimed at expanding the airports in Rourkela, Jeypore (Koraput), and Amarda Road (Mayurbhanj). The objective is to obtain Code 3C commercial operation licenses. It has been reported that the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) reneged on its commitments to advance the expansion projects. According to a letter from the Department of Commerce & Transport to RITES on November 15, 2023, the government accepted their proposal for DPR preparation, with each report costing Rs 10.10 million excluding GST. The oversight of the project will be handled by Suresh Chandra Hota, the Aviation advisor in the Directorate of Aviation. This decision was prompted by a letter from Usha Padhee, the principal secretary of the Commerce and Transport department, to AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar on July 4, 2023. In the letter, she urged the preparation of DPRs for Rourkela and Jeypore airports. The government, expressing a willingness to bear the expenses, requested details for upgrading these airports to the 3C license category. Bimal Bisi, the former general secretary of Steel Executives? Federation of India (SEFI), praised the government's move and expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He advocated for prioritizing the upgrade of Rourkela airport and suggested a complete takeover from SAIL for seamless operations. Bisi emphasised the high demand on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route, citing 90 percent occupancy on Alliance Air?s ATR-72 flights. Nevertheless, cancellations persist due to the absence of Instrument Landing System (ILS) and night landing facilities. It's noteworthy that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has operated the Rourkela airport of SAIL under an MoU for three years, with SAIL annually covering approximately Rs 40 million in operation costs. Until December 2022, the AAI spent about Rs 280 million for upgrading the airport to Code 2C, and plans for further expansion to Code 3C are currently on hold. Contrary to the initial plans, the 19-seater aircraft promised by Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia for the Rourkela-Kolkata route did not materialize before the FIH Men?s Hockey World Cup 2023.