'State-of-the-art' Ayodhya airport set for takeoff

Ayodhya: Endowed with modern amenities and decorated with the themes from the life of Lord Ram, the soon-to-open international airport here is expected to give a fillip to the local economy and religious tourism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to inaugurate the Shri Ram International Airport and the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station on December 30.

On Thursday evening, a PTI team visited the airport when workers were rushing to complete civil work, and the terminal building was being decorated with tricolour-theme fabric.

While the core of the newly built airport, located about 15 km from the main Ayodhya city, uses modern construction material, the facade of the terminal has been lent a traditional look as done in the new building of the Ayodhya station.

Even the main gateway has been built in a similar way, carrying a concrete core and cladding of sandstone bearing stylised carvings.

The main road that leads from Sitapur Road side to the airport has been decked up with several posters carrying images of Prime Minister Modi, and a welcome message.

Ornamental lamp posts have been installed on this route while greenery on the median adds to the aesthetic look of the area.

Huge welcoming posters with images of Modi and describing Ayodhya as a holy city have also been put up on the Ayodhya bypass while many houses along that road now carry on their rooftops saffron flags with images of Lord Ram or Lord Hanuman and the chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday issued a statement saying Prime Minister Modi will visit Ayodhya on December 30.

At around 11:15 am, the prime minister will inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flag off new Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Bharat trains, it said, adding he will also dedicate several other railway projects to the nation.

At around 12:15 pm, the prime minister will inaugurate the Ayodhya airport, the PMO said.

The prime minister will later participate in a public programme where he will inaugurate, delicate to nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore in the state, the statement said.

"The phase 1 of the state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. The airport's terminal building will have an area of 6,500 sqm, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually," it said.

The facade of the terminal building "depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya," the statement said.

The interiors of the terminal building have been decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Lord Ram.

The Ayodhya airport has an extended runway suitable for A-321/B-737 type aircraft operations.

Airliner IndiGo earlier this month had said that it would operate the inaugural flight from the national capital to Ayodhya airport on December 30 and the commercial services will commence from January 6.

This will be followed by tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya from January 11, it had said.

Ayodhya native Ayushi Kasaudhan, an engineering student pursuing BTech from a college in Noida, said this will help her reach home faster during holidays.

"This airport was much-needed as trains run late at times. I generally take Ayodhya Express or Kaifiyat Express from Delhi, and it takes about 15 hours by train. So, I am eagerly waiting to see it open for passengers," she told PTI here.

Kasaudhan on Thursday evening had travelled, along with some family members, from Ayodhya to just see the new airport.

Many other residents are also excited about its inauguration.

The office of Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday posted on X a teaser video on the airport's inauguration.

"Just as the construction work of Ram temple in Ayodhya is at its peak, similarly the construction of Ayodhya airport is also in its final stages to welcome the devotees, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji on 30 December 2023."

"This state-of-the-art airport, decorated with themes from the epic Ramayana, will take the development of pilgrimage and tourism in the entire region to new heights," the post said.

Prime Minister Modi's visit will come just ahead of 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) of the under-construction Ram temple in Ayodhya.

A grand Ram temple is currently under construction in Ayodhya, with the consecration ceremony to be held on January 22, which will be attended by the prime minister.

Large posters bearing a symbolic image of the upcoming Ram temple, design of the new airport along with a message that hails Ayodhya as a city of 'Maryada, Dharm and Sanskriti' have been put up in the temple town, including at locations near the airport and the station and the bypass road.

The terminal building of Ayodhya airport is also equipped with various sustainability features like insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rain water harvesting, landscaping with fountains, water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and solar power plant to meet GRIHA - 5 star ratings, the PMO said in its statement.

The airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism, business activities and employment opportunities, it added.