Prayagraj: In the run-up to the grand Maha Kumbh 2025 at Triveni Sangam here, the administration leaves no stone unturned for the visitors' convenience. Along with road and rail, air connectivity is also being ramped up. The Prayagraj airport will have direct connectivities with 23 major cities, approval for which has already been accorded by the aviation ministry.
Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu reached the city to inspect day and night flight operations, parking space for aircraft at the airport, crowd management and construction work. During media interaction, he said, "I hail from a South Indian state and people need to avail air services to reach Prayagraj. Ahead of the Maha Kumbh, Prayagraj will be aerially connected with the maximum number of cities. The current number of eight flights a day would be enhanced".
Flights Operations During Fog Situation
Naidu said the airlines have been informed to operate as many flights as possible from the maximum number of cities during the Maha Kumbh. "Flights should come from every corner of the country. We have also made arrangements for nocturnal flight operations. CAT II systems have been installed here to aid pilots in take-off and landing at night. Flights will be able to be operated easily even in fog. We are technically capable now and flight operations will be hassle-free during the grand fair". The minister also chaired a marathon meeting post-inspection.
Multilingual Guides at Airport
Naidu said for the ease of flyers from various states, especially the non-Hindi speaking areas, several 'May I Help You' kiosks would be set up at the airport where multilingual guides will address visitors' queries like the route for reaching the fair venue. "Our effort is to reduce the problems faced by passengers coming by road, train or plane," he said.
Civil aviation secretary V Vulnam, Vipin Kumar, chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and Anil Kumar Gupta, AAI member along with other officials were present during the inspection.
Expansion of Prayajraj Airport
The Prayagraj Airport is being expanded for Rs 175 crore and works are expected to be completed by the end of December with the start of operations from December 31. The new terminal will have a capacity of 850 passengers and stand for 15 aircraft simultaneously. The parking lot can accommodate 400 vehicles. So far, two phases of work on the new terminal building in the airport have been completed and the third phase is underway. During his inspection, Naidu directed the contracting agency to unveil the new terminal before the Maha Kumbh 2025 along with coordination with DGCA and BCAS for mandatory approvals. He further directed that if the work didn't get over before the fair, it should temporarily be suspended to avoid any inconvenience to the flyers. To this, project in-charge Dr M K Deshpande and his team of engineers assured Naidu of completing the work within the pre-decided target.
Cities with Direct Connectivity
Naidu said if any airline sends a proposal for operating direct flights from Prayagraj will be accorded instantaneous approval. Currently, Prayagraj has direct flights to and fro Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Bilaspur, Hyderabad, Raipur, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar. While approval has been given for direct connectivity with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jabalpur, Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Dehradun and Chandigarh, a proposal has been received recently for Chennai, Jammu, Patna, Nagpur, Ayodhya, Pune, and Bhopal which are likely get the ministry go ahead soon.
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