MoU for expansion of Puducherry airport runway signed

Puducherry, June 16 (UNI) The Puducherry administration today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to expand the runway of the airport here.

Puducherry Chief Secretary Pradeep Mehra and AAI chairman Dr K Ramalingam signed the MoU in the presence of Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao at a function.

Territorial Information Secretary A Anbarasu, who participated in the function later told newspersons that the Puducherry airport would be revived after a gap of two decades.

Stating that fullfledged operations at the airport would commence in the next two years, he said under the MoU, the runway would be expanded from its present length of 1222 metres by another 260 m.

The expansion of the runway by 260 meters would enable operation of ATR 72 (62 seater) types of aircraft. The present length of the runway would enable operation of only 18 seater aircraft, he said adding the land would be handed over in one week and the first phase of the work would be completed by the end of this year.

The completion of the second phase of expansion in another two years would enable operation of Airbus, he said adding that an amount of Rs 1.2 crore would be spent for providing night landing facility at the airport.

UNI