The upcoming airport in Ayodhya, also known as Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport, is scheduled to commence its domestic operations in November this year.
As per the airport’s director, Vinod Kumar, the initial phase of construction is projected to conclude by October.
The Uttar Pradesh government, in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is converting the existing airstrip near Ayodhya in Faizabad into an international airport.
Presently, the terminal building is 25 per cent complete, and the airport authority is striving to expedite its completion, reports Times of India.
The domestic terminal, covering an area of 6,000 square metre, will be equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, including three aerobridges, capable of accommodating 300 peak-hour passengers.
The runway, measuring 2,200 metre in length, has already been constructed, with plans to extend it to 3,125 metre in the second phase and 3,750 metre in the third phase.
International flights are expected to start after the third phase is completed.
Kumar said that the airport authority will apply to the DGCA for permission to start flights once the terminal building is completed in October. The DGCA will inspect the airport and then grant permission to start flights.
The international airport, being developed in multiple phases, will span over an overall area of 660 acres of land.
It is situated eight km from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya and will combine tradition with modernity.
Upon completion of the first phase, the airport will be able to accommodate four Airbus A320-type aircraft.
Ayodhya is currently undergoing a significant transformation, as the development of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple is coming closer to its scheduled opening to the public, early next year.