Bokaro: The push to operationalise Bokaro Airport gathered pace on Tuesday as district authorities, along with officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Bokaro Steel Limited (BSL), conducted a comprehensive review of the airport’s infrastructure and operational preparedness ahead of the crucial inspection by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha led the joint inspection, examining the runway, terminal building, boarding area, operational facilities and other key infrastructure to assess the airport’s readiness for regulatory clearance. Officials also reviewed pending operational and infrastructure-related issues that need to be resolved before the DGCA visit.
Stressing the importance of meeting aviation safety and operational standards, Jha directed officials to maintain the airport premises in top condition. He instructed the concerned departments to undertake regular cleaning, remove overgrown grass and shrubs, and complete all maintenance work well before the DGCA inspection.
The Deputy Commissioner also reviewed the airport’s operation and maintenance mechanism and asked officials to strengthen coordination between AAI and SAIL at the senior level to expedite resolution of pending issues. He emphasised that all necessary measures should be taken to ensure the airport becomes operational at the earliest.
The inspection was attended by Managing Director Capt. S.P. Sinha, IAS probationer Dr. Arvind Radhakrishnan, Additional Collector Sunil Chandra, AAI official Manoj Kumar, SAIL Chief General Manager (Aviation), and other district officials.
Airport to Boost Regional Air Connectivity
Bokaro Airport is being developed under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN II to improve air connectivity in eastern India. Spread over 195 acres of land owned by SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant, the project is being implemented under a Memorandum of Understanding between AAI and SAIL for the development of a Code 3C airport at an estimated cost of ₹52.57 crore, with the Jharkhand government contributing 20 per cent of the project cost.
The development plan includes resurfacing and strengthening the existing 1,673-metre-long and 30-metre-wide runway, construction of an apron and taxi track, grading of the operational area, a low-cost passenger terminal, air traffic control tower, electrical substation, watch tower, installation of Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPI), and other civil and electrical infrastructure.
ATR-72 Operations Planned
Once operational and certified by the DGCA, the airport will be capable of handling ATR-72 aircraft. The proposed 3,520-square-metre terminal building will have a peak-hour handling capacity of 100 passengers, equipped with six check-in counters, two baggage arrival belts, and parking space for 20 vehicles.
According to official sources, commercial flights connecting Patna, Kolkata and Delhi are planned after the airport receives DGCA approval. Although services were earlier targeted to commence by the end of the year, the timeline is likely to be revised as parts of the civil infrastructure are still under development.
