Vijayawada: Rajahmundry airport will get maintenance, repair and overhauling (MRO) facility, apart from the other expansion activities.
Interacting with the media here on Saturday, Rajahmundry airport director M. Raj kishore said that keeping in view the growing demand for cargo from the airport, they have proposed several expansion plans before the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He said that passengers occupancy rate has been increased when compared to the corresponding year.
While stating that the traffic will be notably increased only after the landing of wide body aircraft to Rajahmundry airport, he said that the airport is compatible for ATR-72 and Q-400 type of aircraft, which generally do have 72 to 79 seating capacity. He said that proposals have been sent to increase the runway length from 1,750 meters from 3,160 meters. “We want to upgrade this airport for the convenient landing of 4C aircraft also,” he said.
In case such facility is created here, A-321, A-320, Boeing-737 and Boeing-900 series wide body aircraft with belly cargo facility can land here, he explained.
While underscoring the need to promote temple tourism and eco-tourism, the airport director felt that perishable cargo needs air connectivity.
“In that direction we are working now,” he said, and added that there is already a proposal over transforming the airport as customs airport, keeping in view the large scale ONGC activities.
Apart from the two existing parking bays, three more will come up in the next couple of months, the airport director said, and added that the airport is compatible for night landing facility and in requests from the airlines will be considered.
Similarly, he said that the airport is now experiencing eight arrivals and eight departures per day, and added that Jet, Spicejet and Trujet are now operating from Rajahmundry airport.
