RAJAHMUNDRY (Andhra Pradesh): The new terminal building at Rajahmundry Airport, whose foundation stone was laid on Sunday, is likely to be operational by the end of 2025.
“We expect it to be completed by the next two years. So let’s say by December 2025”, Sanjeev Kumar, chairman Airports Authority of India (AAI), szaid minutes after the foundation stone was laid by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The new terminal building will be spread over 17,000 square meters. The current terminal is spread over 4,000 square meters. The new terminal will be able to cater eight to ten flights per hour, the AAI chairman said. “It will have the capacity of 2,000 passengers in the peak hour”.
The new terminal at Rajahmundry Airport is estimated to cost about Rs 350 crore. Giving details about the terminal, the AAI chairman said it will have 30 check-in encounters, eight security lanes with express machines and three aerobridges.
“So, the modern terminal which we see in our metropolitan city will also be developed in Rajahmundry Airport”, he said. “As of now, it is connected to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. We hope that with bigger planes coming in, it will get connected to North India and Western India also. And also eastern India. It will improve the connectivity of Rajahmundry. With this air connectivity, I am sure this new terminal building, when ready, will prove to be a boon to the economy of Rajahmundry and neighbouring towns”, he added.
On AAI’s capital expenditure spending, he said it spent about Rs 5,200 crore last year. “In fact, in the last year or so, we have done the capex of more than Rs 5,200 crore capex, which was of a record for AAI. This year also, we hope to do the capex of more than Rs 5,000 crore”, he added. (ANI)