Puri, November 1: The Jharsuguda airport in Odisha will now be officially known as Veer Surendra Sai Airport after the Union Cabinet's nod on Thursday. The Jharsuguda airport, which will now be called Veer Surendra Sai Airport, has been developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in collaboration with the Odisha government at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore. The airport has been developed under the Centre’s UDAN scheme.

Reports inform that the state has contributed Rs 75 crore for the development of the airport. Spread across over 1,027.5 acres with a 2,390-metre long runway, the terminal building of the airport covers an area of around 4,000 sq metre. The airport has been developed for all-weather operations, including night operations for A-320 type of aircraft.

On September 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated a new airport at Jharsuguda, which he said will attract investors to the mineral-rich area and act as a lifeline in the western region of the state. While highlighting the importance of the Jharsuguda airport, Modi said it would act as a junction for neighbouring Raipur and Ranchi and strengthen connectivity.

Earlier in September, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had requested the central government to rename the Jharsuguda airport after eminent freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai. In a letter to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, Patnaik also sought introduction of commercial flights to Jharsuguda airport.

The Chief Minister had also suggested that one of the Air India flights from Bhubaneswar to Delhi may be routed through Jharsuguda. In July, the Civil Aviation Ministry had refused to rename the airport stating that there was no resolution from the state Assembly.

The Ministry had stated that as a general practice requests for naming/renaming of airports are considered based on the recommendations of the concerned state supported by a resolution passed in the Legislative Assembly.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 01, 2018 01:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).