Greenfield Airport To Be Built In Rajasthan's Kota, Lakhs Of Students To Benefit From Better Connectivity

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared a proposal by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the development of a greenfield airport at Kota-Bundi in Rajasthan, with an estimated investment of Rs 1,507 crore.

Kota, set on the banks of the Chambal river, has long been recognised as Rajasthan’s industrial hub and has in recent decades gained national prominence as India’s leading centre for educational coaching.

The new airport is expected to address mounting demand for better air links from both sectors and help stimulate growth across southern Rajasthan.

The state government has already handed over 440.06 hectares of land to AAI for the project. Plans feature a state-of-the-art terminal covering 20,000 square metres, designed to handle 1,000 peak-hour passengers with an annual capacity of 2 million travellers.

The layout also provides for a 3,200 metre runway, seven parking bays for A-321 aircraft, two taxiways, an ATC cum technical block, fire station, car park and allied infrastructure.

At present, Kota is served by a small airport owned by AAI. With a 1,220 metre runway fit only for Code ‘B’ aircraft such as the Dornier 228, an apron for two such planes and a 400 square metre terminal capable of handling just 50 passengers at peak hours, the facility is unsuited to commercial operations.

Expansion has been ruled out because of land constraints and dense urbanisation around the site.

The greenfield project, the official statement stressed, is intended to meet anticipated passenger traffic, reduce bottlenecks, and improve connectivity for industries and students alike.

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