4 greenfield airports in K’taka get Centre nod

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Union government on Thursday gave permission for setting up 21 ‘greenfield airports’, of which four would be in Karnataka. The said airports would be based in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan and Shivamogga. A greenfield airport is one that typically utilises unused lands like grasslands and doesn’t require prior demolitions.

Such a project is coveted because using undeveloped land is easier as compared to clearing existing infrastructure beforehand. A brownfield model on the other hand improves upon already existing infrastructure.

Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has also given 'In-Principle' approval for setting up of Greenfield Airports in Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry, Dagadarthi, Bhogapuram and Oravakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala and Donyi Polo, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh across the country.

Out of these, 9 Greenfield airports viz. Durgapur, Shirdi, Kannur, Pakyong, Kalaburagi, Orvakal (Kurnool), Sindhudurg, Kushinagar and Donyi Polo, Itanagar have been operationalized. Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation VK Singh disclosed this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Development of a Greenfield airport is governed under the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008. A state or Airport Developer, willing to establish an airport is required to send a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).