AAI to begin Obstacle Limitation Surface survey of Puducherry Airport

Airports Authority of India plans runway expansion at Puducherry airport, starting with an Obstacle Limitation Surface survey.

Giving impetus to the plan to expand operations from the Puducherry airport, the Airports Authority of India has informed the territorial administration of its intent to conduct an Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) survey to locate possible obstacles along the airport airspace based on the master plan for new runway orientation.

After finding the earlier proposals submitted by the U.T. administration of extending the existing runway not viable, the AAI, in consultation with Puducherry government, had agreed on a new orientation for the runway, which essentially means discarding the existing runway of 1,502 metres and constructing a new runway of 2,300 metres extending to a point near the Moratandi toll gate on Puducherry-Tindivanam highway.

“Based on the new orientation, a master plan for the runway expansion is ready. The AAI has informed us that they will soon start the OLS survey to locate obstacles along the new proposed runway orientation. As requested by the AAI, we have given them data related to wind rose pattern in Puducherry for the last 16 years. I will be meeting the AAI Chairman very soon to take the expansion plans forward, Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan told The Hindu.

The new orientation, which is a 20-degree deviation with respect to the existing runway, to materialise would need 402 acres of land with majority of the land parcel required for expansion lying on the Tamil Nadu side. The Puducherry administration had already approached Tamil Nadu for its cooperation in the land acquisition process, said an official.

Rajasekhar Reddy, Director, Puducherry Airport said that after the OLS survey, the AAI would prepare a Detailed Project Report and then Land Plan Survey (LPS). The LPS would be submitted to the Puducherry government for taking up land acquisition process, he added.

The airport was gearing up for the launch of flight service by Indigo from December 20, Mr. Reddy said. The first flight of Indigo from Bengaluru will arrive in Puducherry Airport around 12.20 p.m. The flight will resume its travel to Hyderabad at 12.40 p.m. and return to Puducherry around 4.50 p.m. The flight will start its return journey to Bengaluru from Puducherry at 5.10 p.m.

According to the information available, around 51 passengers have already made their booking for the first flight from Bengaluru to Puducherry and 17 people have booked tickets from Puducherry to Bengaluru. Around 33 passengers have booked tickets from Puducherry to Hyderabad and 52 people have booked seats for the return journey from Hyderabad to Puducherry.