Faizabad Airport

Faizabad Airport, also known as Ayodhya Airport,[1][2] officially named Maryada Purshottam Shriram Airport,[3] is an upcoming airport in Faizabad city that will be upgraded from the existing government airstrip.[4] Existing government airstrip is situated between the NH 27 and NH 330 at Sultanpur Naaka, Ayodhya, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The State Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in February 2014 for the development of the airport.[5] As of December 2020, the airport is not operational.[6]

Not to be confused with Fayzabad Airport.

Faizabad Airport
Summary
Airport typeCivil
OwnerGovernment of India
OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesFaizabad, Ayodhya
LocationAyodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India
Elevation AMSL102 m / 335 ft
Coordinates26°45′12″N 082°09′01″E
Map
FZD
Location of the airport in Uttar Pradesh
FZD
FZD (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
1,800 4,922 Asphalt

Recent efforts

Efforts by Union Civil Aviation Minister

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh stated that there are three airstrips Faizabad, Moradabad and Meerut. He requested that give these airstrips to AAI and they will construct airports.[7]

The U.P. government does not want airports. Agra is an exception. Akhilesh does not want to give free land for airports, Ajit Singh said, adding that more airports would generate employment and spur growth in the state. If the Airports Authority of India got land for domestic airports in other eight cities and towns in U.P., it would have benefited the people of the state, the minister added. And after constant effort the airport has been haned over to AAI.[8]

Development under low-cost airports

In an endeavour to provide air connectivity to different parts of India, development of low-cost airports is the most important component. Instructions have been issued to AAI to identify the most suitable low cost model for development of smaller airports and to develop airports in the smaller cities based on this mode.[9]

Handing over to Airports Authority of India

In 2008, the Faizabad Airport was handed over by the government of Uttar Pradesh to Airports Authority of India (AAI) to be developed as full-fledged airport along with three others (Meerut, Moradabad and Saifai) by the approval of Uttar Pradesh cabinet. The government of Uttar Pradesh is providing extra land free of cost for the further expansion and for the construction of a terminal.[10][11][12]

Runway taken from national highway

In 2012, the Uttar Pradesh government had issued formal orders allowing the landing and parking of private aircraft on the airstrip against a fee. According to the government order, any private aircraft can land by paying Rs 500. There will be no parking charges for the first two hours, after which Rs 200 will be charged per day.[13]

The government gave the airstrip to private investors for their pilot training and aircraft maintenance engineering institutes. "The fresh government order for landing and parking is an extension of that project, because now the government will not have to bother much about activities like maintained, which will be taken care of by the institutes," said Swaroop. The procedure followed earlier to obtain permission for using the airstrip used to be long. The owner of the private aircraft had to contact the respective district magistrate who would further contact the directorate which would take the measures required for landing of the aircraft.[14]

In 2018, the Yogi government expansion of airstrip in Faizabad. The government later approved an international airport and sanctioned ₹2 billion for acquisition of land.[15]

The airport is still not operational as of December 2020.[6]

Projected length

The state government has decided to acquire more than 280 acres of land around the airstrip and widen it to allow landing of bigger aircraft. Projected airstrip needs to have a width of 45 meters and a length of 2.5 km.[16]

References
  1. "UP Cabinet clears proposal to rename Ayodhya Airport as Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram Airport". timesnownews. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  2. "Ayodhya airport to be named after Lord Ram". nationalheraldindia. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  3. "Upcoming Ayodhya airport to be named after Lord Ram". Hindustan Times. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  4. Pande, Alka S (28 July 2007). "Maya to hand over airstrips to private entities". The Indian Express. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. "MoU Signed for Development of Airports in UP". Press Information Bureau. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  6. "Ayodhya airport to be ready for 20-seater aircraft in first phase". CNBC. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  7. "Development not on agenda in UP for last 20 years: Ajit Singh". PTI 21 December 2012, 05.23 pm IST.
  8. Sanjay Singh (28 December 2012). "Aviation Minister Ajit Singh to put brakes on airfares, will introduce a mechanism to curb soaring prices". Mail Today. New Delhi.
  9. "Year-End-Review of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for the Year 2012". Ministry of Civil Aviation28-December 2012 17:54 IST.
  10. Decks clear for air travel to three districts TNN 4 September 2013, 02.54 am IST Times of India
  11. Shelved by Maya, Akhilesh nod to develop Meerut airstrip as airport Express News Service: Lucknow, 4 September 2013, 03:34 hrs &#91
  12. मेरठ, मुरादाबाद, फैजाबाद और सैफई में एयरपोर्ट बनाने का रास्ता साफ Updated on 3 September 2013 10:26 pm (IST)
  13. "Airstrips open to private aircraft in UP". Posted: 18 April 2008 at 2317 hrs IST. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012.
  14. "Airstrips open to private aircraft in UP". Posted: 18 April 2008 at 2317 hrs IST. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012.
  15. "Yogi govt expedites Ayodhya international airport project". Hindustan Times. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  16. PTI (6 November 2018). "Full-fledged airport in Ayodhya on fast track". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
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