🇮🇳 Rourkela Airport

Rourkela Airport (IATA: RRK, ICAO: VERK) is a public domestic airport serving Rourkela, Odisha, India, located near Chhend Colony, 6 km west of the city center.

Type of facility and operations:

• It is owned by Rourkela Steel Plant and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• The airport is capable of handling ATR-72 type aircraft and has an apron for parking two aircraft simultaneously.
• The airspace is classified as Class D during published operational hours and Class G beyond operational hours.
• The single runway, 09/27, is asphalt and measures 1,930 meters (6,332 feet),.

Notable features or history:

• The airport underwent an upgradation project by AAI costing ₹64.24 crore, which included expanding the runway, constructing a new apron, a parallel taxiway, a new passenger terminal building, and a perimeter wall.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted a license for public use on December 19, 2022, and commercial operations began on January 7, 2023.
• The passenger terminal, inaugurated in January 2023, is 5,785 sq.ft and designed to handle 50 arriving and 50 departing passengers at a time, with interiors depicting local handicraft and culture,.

Current status:

• As of April 2023 – March 2024, the airport handled 26,750 passengers and 809 aircraft movements.
• Alliance Air operates scheduled flight services to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata,.

*Sources researched: aim-india.aai.aero, en.wikipedia.org, ikidata.org, indiaairport.com, skyvector.com*