TN to give 10.7 acres more for Vellore airport

VELLORE: After a gap of more than three months, the preliminary work for handing over 10.72 acres of land requested by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the Vellore airport began Friday, sources revealed.

The AAI asked for an additional 10.72-acre land, after the completion of building runway and terminal buildings. According to AAI, the requested land was necessary for the facility to become operational.

Meanwhile, the viability of the airport, which is delayed by many years already, is also under scrutiny as it was envisaged that flights would be from Chennai to Bengaluru or Tirupathi in both directions crossing Vellore. The last top official to visit the airport was VK Singh, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation, in October, last year, when he requested the state government to provide the land.

Meanwhile, what seems to have triggered present developments is reports on social media that a private airline was planning to operate 19 seater aircraft covering Puducherry, Chennai, Thirupathi, Bengaluru, Vellore, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore by Deepavali, this year. AAI officials said such issues would be decided only at AAI New Delhi.