Jaipur, May 26 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting on the progress of the Kota-Bundi Greenfield Airport, assessing construction timelines and key infrastructure requirements for the upcoming aviation project.

The meeting was held at the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office in the Parliament House complex, with senior officials from the Airports Authority of India participating in the meeting.

Officials from multiple departments, including the Kota Divisional Administration, Bundi district administration, Kota Development Authority, Power Grid, Public Health Engineering Department, and the Forest Department, joined the review meeting through video conferencing.

During the meeting, officials told that construction work on the greenfield airport is progressing as per schedule.

They said that the airport is expected to be ready for aircraft operations on the runway by October 2027, while regular commercial air services are likely to commence by December 2027.

The airport is being developed over an area of 1,088 acre and will feature a 3.2-km runway capable of accommodating large aircraft.

Officials also said the project is designed with a projected passenger handling capacity of around 2 million passengers annually and will be equipped with modern aviation infrastructure.

Speaker Birla directed officials to ensure that complete immigration facilities are made available at the Kota airport itself, so that international passengers do not need to depend on major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, or Jaipur for clearance procedures.

He emphasised the need for seamless international travel readiness at the facility.

He also instructed authorities to explore the feasibility of setting up an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility near the airport to promote aviation-linked industrial development and generate employment opportunities in the region.

In addition, the Lok Sabha Speaker suggested examining the possibility of establishing a flying training school at the site of the existing old airport.

Officials briefed that the project is expected to boost economic activity across the Hadoti region, strengthening connectivity and opening opportunities in trade, tourism, investment, and industry.

According to the plan, the airport is expected to give a major push to regional development and provide the Kota-Bundi region with enhanced national and international connectivity.

Senior officials including Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha Secretariat Gaurav Goyal, and Officer on Special Duty to the Speaker Rajesh Goyal were also present during the review meeting.

–IANS

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