New Delhi (The Hawk): Catering to a growing city of promising tourism options, Jabalpur airport is witnessing the rise in passenger traffic. The airport is now getting upgraded to provide better services to the air travelers of the region. The upgradation work being undertaken at the airport includes construction of New Terminal Building, ATC Tower, Technical Block, Fire Station Category VII, other buildings and Extension of runway & associated works to cater the operations of AB-320 type of aircraft. Madhya Pradesh Govt handed over 483 acres of land to AAI for development work in 2015, total land measuring to 774 acres.
The new terminal building equipped with world-class passenger facilities, will have the capacity to handle 500 passengers during peak hours. Spread over an area of 1,15,315 sq ft, the terminal building will have three aerobridges, advanced baggage screening system, modern food court in the landscape area and well-planned car parking for more than 300 cars and buses. The proposed terminal building will welcome the passengers with glimpses of vibrant Gond Paintings, local handicrafts, murals and popular tourist destinations of Madhya Pradesh.
The new building will be built with eco-friendly, sustainable material and equipped with solar plant and energy efficient equipment. An efficient solid waste management system, reuse of treated water for horticulture purposes and rain water harvesting system with Sustainable Urban Drainage System are a few other green features of the airport upgradation project
Apart from the construction of new terminal building, the upgradation work with project cost of Rs. 412 crores also includes extension of runway to make airport suitable for operation of Airbus 320 type of aircraft, construction of 28-metre-high new ATC tower and technical block (G+3) with all modern facilities, fire station (Category-VII) and other ancillary buildings like utility block, gate house etc.
The tentative date for completion of the project is December 2022 and the new terminal building is likely to be commissioned by March 2023.
Gateway to the tourist attractions like Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, marble cliffs and waterfalls at nearby Bhedaghat, the airport serves the whole of eastern Madhya Pradesh, especially the Mahakaushal region. The new upgraded Jabalpur airport will play a pivotal role in the development of Jabalpur city and boost growing tourism industry in the region.