Bhubaneswar, Dec, 26: An air service will soon connect Malkangiri district, located in southern Odisha. Scheduled flights from this airport are expected to begin from January. The airport is part of the RCS (UDAN) flight scheme.
The airport has a 1,500-meter runway, and in the initial phase, 20-seater small aircraft will operate. In the future, plans are in place to accommodate larger aircraft. The airport is being developed as a Category-2 airport.
According to reports, a few days ago, senior officials from the State Transport Department and the Airports Authority of India visited Malkangiri to inspect the site. Another inspection is planned later this month to review the progress of the project. Construction at the airport, including the terminal building with facilities and a fire station, has already been completed.
In May of the current year, during a site visit to Kotelguda, five senior officials reviewed the airport expansion work and instructed that it be completed by January. In the first phase, the airport will only operate small scheduled flights, so a DGCA license will not be required at this stage. Currently, the Transport Department is in discussion with various airlines to start small aircraft operations between Bhubaneswar and Malkangiri.