The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has provided a significant boost to the state government's plans to establish the Sri Jagannath International Airport in Puri. After a year of review, the MoCA has granted site clearance approval for the project, which was submitted in accordance with the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy of 2008. As part of the approval, the MoCA has requested the state government to proceed with the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) to obtain 'in-principle' approval. The state must submit its application, along with the DPR, to the steering committee on greenfield airports within the next two years. Initial cost estimates for the airport project stand at approximately Rs 56.31 billion. The Puri district administration has already initiated the land acquisition process, covering around 1,164 acres, including 68 acres of forest land and 221.48 acres of privately owned land in Sipasarubali and Sandhapur under the Brahmagiri tehsil. The private land required for the project comprises 153.37 acres in Sipasarubali and 68.11 acres in Sandhapur. Importantly, no rehabilitation or resettlement is necessary as the land areas are devoid of human habitation. The project proposal was developed after identifying suitable land and conducting a favourable obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS) survey. Public hearings for acquiring private land have been completed, and processes for converting some government land are underway. With site clearance approval obtained, the project will now move forward at an accelerated pace, according to an official associated with the project. To secure in-principle approval, the government will need to fulfil the necessary requirements with regulatory bodies and government agencies. If all these steps are completed on schedule, construction work could commence as early as the next year. The need for the Sri Jagannath International Airport in Puri arose from the city's transformation into a world-class heritage destination. Furthermore, the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar has reached its design capacity limit. In light of the expected increase in tourist footfall in Puri, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik initially urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 to support the establishment of this international airport. During his visit to New Delhi in May of the current year, Naveen once again appealed to the Prime Minister for his intervention in expediting the process. In addition, during the same month, while inaugurating the Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat train, which was flagged off by Modi, Naveen invited the Prime Minister to inaugurate the airport once it is ready, with the hope of achieving this within three to four years with his support.