Ayodhya Airport To Be Ready By December End, Says Jyotiraditya Scindia

Guests can conveniently arrive directly in Ayodhya for the long-awaited consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol at the Ram Temple on January 22 next year, as Ayodhya airport will be fully ready by the month-end.

"By the end of this month, the Ayodhya airport will be fully ready. I am monitoring the project on a daily basis. PM Modi will inaugurate the airport along with flight operations," Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, said while addressing a press conference on Friday.

With the date of the consecration ceremony nearing, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath last week paid a visit to Ayodhya, his fourth trip to the temple town in the last 35 days, to inspect the progress of the construction of the Ram Temple. He was accompanied by Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (retd.) V K Singh.

Initially, Ayodhya had a modest 178-acre airstrip. Subsequently, the state government allocated an additional 821 acres to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), facilitating the development of a larger international airport in the sacred city, aptly named, Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport.

In the first phase of development, a 65,000-square-feet terminal is currently being constructed, designed to accommodate two to three flights per hour.

Additionally, work on a 2200-metre runway is also under progress, which will facilitate landing of larger aircraft such as Boeing 737, Airbus 319, and 320, alongside smaller aircraft. The first phase also includes the provision of eight aprons for aircraft parking at the airport.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has initiated the approval process from the Union cabinet for the second phase of the airport.

In the second phase, the runway will be extended from 2200 metres to 3700 metres, facilitating the direct landing of all international flights in Ayodhya, including Boeing 787 and Boeing 777. The terminal building will undergo significant expansion, reaching over 5 lakh square feet.

It's noteworthy that the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is progressing rapidly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in the inauguration of the Ram temple on 22 January 2024.