By IANS,
Raipur : The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will invest Rs.1.36 billion for construction of a new integrated terminal at the Raipur airport, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here Friday.
“The AAI will be investing Rs.136 crore (Rs.1.36 billion) for a new integrated terminal at Raipur airport to make it an international-standard airport,” Patel said here at a function to lay the foundation stone for the new terminal building.
He said the new terminal will come up on 18,500 sq metres and will be able to provide services to 700 passengers at a time. The terminal would be ready by the end of 2009, he said.
The new terminal will have 12 check-in counters, one X-ray luggage machine, three security check points and three conveyor belts for luggage.
AAI officials said that at present Raipur airport handles 39,000 air passengers monthly with daily arrivals and departures of 12 flights.
Patel said, “Chhattisgarh is fast emerging as an economic and industrial state of the country and our ministry wants to construct an integrated cargo complex at Raipur airport if the state government provides land.”
The function was attended by state ministers Brijmohan Agrawal and Rejesh Munat besides Raipur Lok Sabha MP and former minister Ramesh Bais, former union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary P. Joy Oommen and AAI chairman V.P. Agarwal.