Developed at the cost of Rs 70 crore, the airport is spread across an area of 233 acres.
The airport is located in Katelguda in the Goudaguda panchayat area of Odisha and has a 1620-meter long and 30-meter wide runway.
Paving the way for a new era of air connectivity, the Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Malkangiri airport in the southwestern part of the state on Tuesday.
Developed at the cost of Rs 70 crore, the airport is spread across an area of 233 acres. The airport is located in Katelguda in the Goudaguda panchayat area of Odisha and has a 1620-meter long and 30-meter wide runway, an official mentioned. “It is a great pleasure to inaugurate the Malkangiri Airport, a dream come true for the people of the district and now on the aviation map of the country. The airport adds a new chapter in Malkangiri’s transformation journey to further accelerate the pace of trade, tourism and commerce,” Naveen Patnaik said on X.
An official told the media that in the first phase, nine-seat aircraft are expected to operate from the airport. On January 7, the 9-seat twin-engine VT-100 flight test was successfully carried out at Malkangiri airport.
Odisha’s 7th airport
With the addition of Malkangiri Airport, the total number of operational airports in Odisha has increased to seven. The other six airports are located in Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore in Koraput, Utkela in Kalahandi, Rourkela in Sundergarh and Rangeilunda in Ganjam.
“The air connectivity to Malkangiri will usher in a new era of development, open up avenues of business and tourism, and further transform the lives of the people in the region,” Patnaik said.
Notably, the airport will connect the remote district with the outside world as the Odisha government plans to operate flights to Bhubaneswar and other cities.
“It will be useful for the citizens for various purposes. The economic activity including tourism will be enhanced. Security staff will confidently perform rescue missions faster. I hope this airport will open up more opportunities for the development of the district,” said Vineel Krishna, Special Secretary to the Chief Minister of Odisha.
The authorities of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, have provided necessary technical support to operate the Malkangiri Airport.
Launch of integrated irrigation project worth Rs 4,000 billion
On the occasion, CM Naveen Patnaik announced an integrated irrigation project worth Rs 4,000 crore at Govindpalli, which will help irrigate 92,815 acres of agricultural land and provide drinking water to 1.5 lakh people. Work on the project is expected to begin in April and approximately 37,000 hectares of land will benefit from the project.
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