Arunachal CM asks Centre to fast track greenfield airport

New Delhi, Sept 23 : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has urged the Centre to fast-track the process of setting up a greenfield airport near Itanagar to facilitate direct flights to the rest of the country.

Tuki had a detailed meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju here yesterday and requested him to do the needful for getting all clearance for the Rs 650 crore project to construct the greenfield airport at Hollongi, near capital Itanagar.

"I had a meeting with the Civil Aviation Minister and discussed the issue of greenfield airport at Hollongi," he said. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already assured Arunachal Pradesh that the Centre will provide all possible support to the state for fast tracking the process to set up the greenfield airport.

Sources said construction of the proposed greenfield airport project at Holongi in the Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh will be started early next year after environmental clearance.

The airport will be built by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) over an area of 320 hectares. When completed, the airport will be able to accommodate narrow-body jets like the Airbus A321 in the first phase.

It will facilitate direct flights from Arunachal Pradesh to rest of the country. The project will also include a five-star hotel and convention centre.

The Chief Minister also told the Civil Aviation Minister the need to introduce regular flights to facilitate connectivity from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi via Guwahati. Raju assured Tuki that he would pass on necessary directives to the operators to introduce regular flights in this sector.

PTI