The first commercial flight operation at the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram Airport in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya is expected to commence with the Ram temple's planned opening in January 2024.
According to the reports, the consecration ceremony for the Ram temple is likely to be held on 22 January 2024. The Airports Authority Of India aims to complete the first phase of the airport by then. The first phase includes commercial flight operations from Ayodhya airport, a 2245-meter-long runway development, and installation of a Doppler Very High-Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) as well as a homing gate system.
According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, in the second phase, Ayodhya will have international commercial flight operations.
DVOR is the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) standard ground-based radio navigational aid that delivers bearing information to aircraft to define air traffic control pathways for en-route, terminal, and instrument approach, as well as departure procedures.
A glidepath (GP) for a descent profile established for vertical guidance during an aircraft's final approach and instrument landing system, as well as a precision approach path indicator, have been installed.
With night and fog landing facilities in place, the first phase of Ayodhya airport operation will only handle domestic operations.
Over 70 per cent of Terminal-1's construction work, including the air traffic control tower, apron, taxiway, and isolation area, has been finished. The airport will be capable of handling 500 passengers per hour and will be able to accommodate eight Airbus A-320 planes at the same time.
The current cost of the first phase of the project is Rs 323 crore. The airport entry and exit will have four lanes that would be connected with Sultanpur road directly.