Team News Riveting
New Delhi, April 18
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has lauded the site clearance of over 2250 acres land by Ministry of Civil Aviation for Greenfield Airport project at Kottayam (Sabarimala).
Sharing a tweet by Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Prime Minister tweeted: “Great news for tourism and especially spiritual tourism.”
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Monday announced that the Greenfield Airport Project in Kottayam, Kerala, has received Site Clearance. The development came after several rounds of meetings between the Ministry and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).
KSIDC, a body under the Government of Kerala, is the project proponent for the airport that will enhance connectivity to Sabarimala that houses the historic temple of Lord Ayyappan.
The Kottayam Greenfield Airport project is proposed to be developed on roughly 2,250 acres of land. The KSIDC plans to execute the project in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The estimated cost of the entire development project has been pegged at Rs 4,000 crore, the MoCA said.
KSIDC’s website mentions that according to the Master Plan, the airport will have a runway length of at least 3.5 kilometres on 08/26 alignment. Once completed, it will be the 5th International Airport in the State. The Government of Kerala has accorded ‘priority’ status by the State Government.
The airport will still be located far enough from the Sabarimala Temple to avoid any disturbance at the religious site, KSIDC has noted.
