Non-availability of land delaying Kovai airport expansion: AAI Director

The airport here was waiting for expansion for the last few years, but it could not be taken up due to non-availability of land, resulting in congestion, particularly in the parking lot and bays for flights, he said. 

Unless, the AAI gets the land immediately, it would become difficult for the international airport to function as it would at least take a minimum of five years to construct buildings and infrastructure for the expansion, he said. 

Reddy was addressing a three-day aero show “Aeroplus 2017”, organised by the Nehru College of Aeronautics and Applied Sciences here, which opened on Friday.

He said that under the regional connectivity Scheme of the civil aviation ministry to operationalise smaller airports, work had already commenced on connecting Salem and Puducherry airports with Chennai and Bengaluru. 

With nearly 500 small airports across the country not operational, the Ministry had taken the initiative to make 70 to 75 of them functional by allotting 70 to 80 seats over 120 routes, Reddy said. Work had been started to connect Salem and Puducherry with Chennai and Bengaluru and the rest would be completed in two to three years, he added.