Latest news with #BPIA
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
‘Illegal' market complex along flight path yet to be razed: Officials
Bhubaneswar: An unauthorised two-storey market complex in Jagamara, which falls along the approach path of flights at Biju Patnaik International Airport, is yet to be demolished despite repeated reminders to the civic authorities, BPIA officials said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Tall trees around the area are also posing as obstructions during aircraft landing. Officials said getting a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the airport authorities is mandatory to get approval of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation for any construction. But in the case of the complex, no NOC was obtained, they said. "We flagged our concerns several times before the city authorities. They have so far cut three coconut trees. But the two-storey building is completely illegal," said airport director Prasanna Pradhan. He further said the airport is not empowered to serve notice and order demolition as per existing rules, and it is the mandate of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), and in some cases, the general administration department. "The Centre issued draft rules to regulate and remove obstructions such as buildings and trees that interfere with aircraft. The draft Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions Caused by Buildings and Trees, etc.) Rules, 2025, were released under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. It was in the public domain for 21 days for feedback. It is likely to be passed in Parliament very soon, after which airport authorities will be empowered to remove obstructions. This will reduce the cumbersome process of moving multiple agencies," Pradhan added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Airport Environment Management Committee (AEMC) pointed out the obstructions and safety issues. The BMC commissioner chairs the AEMC meeting. BPIA authorities recently surveyed the area jointly with officials of BMC, BDA, general administration department, and police. "There should not be any infringement on the approach light and obstacle-free zone (OFZ) of the airport," an airport official said. "After cutting the coconut trees, other tall trees along the airport's approach path will be felled," said BMC commissioner Rajesh Patil. "We are taking steps to remove more obstructions. The building owners will also be served a notice," he added. During landing and takeoff, birds flutter from trees as high as to hit an aircraft nose, fuselage, windshield and engine, which can pose potential danger to flights and may end in a crash, airport officials said.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Proposed T3 terminal at city airport to have arrival & departure facilities
Bhubaneswar: Authorities of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here have dropped the plan of segregated arrival and departure in two terminals (T1 & T3) and have decided to redesign the proposed T3 terminal into a standalone integrated facility. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now T-3 will be built over a 65,000 sqm area and will be able to handle 86 lakh flyers annually and 3,000 in an hour during peak time. An integrated terminal has departure and arrival facilities in one building. "In a meeting with stakeholders, we decided that it (T3) will be designed to handle both arrivals and departures. Segregation would have brought difficulties in handling passengers and other operations at both lounges," said BPIA director Prasanna Pradhan. "There is land available for the project in the operational area and close to the T1 building. There are altogether 18 aprons for aircraft to enter bays, but after the T3 is built, six more aerobridges will be required," he added. Officials privy to the development said the cost estimate for the project could touch Rs 1,000 crore. "The project estimate has been done. Now it needs to be passed to the board to start the project," an official said. The city airport had only one terminal before 2013, with the old domestic terminal converted into the international terminal (T2). In March 2013, a new state-of-the-art domestic terminal was constructed at a cost of Rs 145 crore on a modular pattern to allow further expansion. It can handle around 1,000 flyers at a time. Officials said that considering the air traffic, passenger comfort and commercial activities, the design of the new terminal will be finalised. Currently, the airport witnesses a daily footfall of more than 15,000. Five domestic destinations — Patna, Lucknow, Kochi, Jaipur, Dehradun and Indore — were recently added. Other cities directly connected with Bhubaneswar are Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai, Ranchi, Allahabad, Hyderabad, Raipur, Varanasi and Ahmedabad.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Time of India
‘Passenger footfall expected to reach 15 million by 2035'
The busiest airport in Odisha – and the only one operating international flights in the state – BPIA's annual passenger footfall is expected to grow further from 4.8 million annually in the near future. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Riyan Ramanath speaks to BPIA's director, Prasanna Pradhan, as the airport adopts new technology and safety measures to keep up with the changing times. Excerpts: BPIA has been adopting all types of modern avionics to keep pace with changing aviation requirements. What are the airport's future plans in terms of use of technology? BPIA has been steadily adopting modern technologies to enhance operational efficiency and safety. Considering the traffic volume and complexity of air traffic, BPIA is equipped with all types of modern communication, navigation and surveillance systems to provide Air Traffic Control Service to aircraft operating from/to Bhubaneswar airport. Safety and security of passengers has been a concern in view of the recent plane crash in Ahmedabad. What are the lessons that BPIA needs to learn and where does it need to take corrective measures? In view of the recent plane crash, BPIA has already conducted a safety review/audit of aircraft operation by a committee constituting all operational heads. The airport fire station is prepared to handle any accident. We have also updated the airport emergency plan. How is BPIA prepared to tackle bird strikes? A trained bird and wildlife hazard control team operates throughout the day at the airport as it monitors and patrols areas like the runway, taxiways and apron. Frequent runway and airfield inspections are conducted to spot and remove things that often attract birds like food, water or nesting areas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Awareness drives are also conducted in surrounding areas of the airport to discourage practices that attract birds. How do you see the safety apparatus of small airports and airstrips in Odisha? As far as safety is concerned, all airports comply with DGCA's regulation standards. How do you see the passenger footfall growing in the next 10 years? BPIA handles over 4.8 million passengers annually right now and with a rising middle class, a boom in tourism, increase in business travel and growth in mining, steel, IT, health and education sectors, the number is expected to increase further. As per our projection, the annual passenger footfall is expected to reach 15 million by 2035. The airport's domestic connectivity is strong and annually growing at 16% and though international flights are limited at the moment, they are increasing.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Flyers disembark from city-Kol flight after bird hit
Bhubaneswar: Around 120 flyers had to disembark from an IndiGo Bhubaneswar-Kolkata flight after it suffered a bird hit while taxiing for takeoff on the runway at Biju Patnaik International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The airlines sent the passengers in another aircraft three hours later. Confirming the bird-hit, Prasanna Pradhan, director of BPIA, said, "There was a report of bird-hit by pilot of an IndiGo Bhubaneswar-Kolkata flight. Further investigation into the incident is on." Sources said the aircraft, an Airbus A320, suffered bird-hit on the engine side. Though there was no visible damage, the aircraft was sent to the bay for further inspection as a precaution, they said. The flight 6E6101 was scheduled to take off from Bhubaneswar around 4.20 pm. Its passengers boarded another aircraft around 8 pm. The re-arranged IndiGo aircraft landed in Kolkata with all the
New Indian Express
14-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
After Air India crash, Bhubaneswar airport to hold emergency mock drill on June 30
BHUBANESWAR: In the aftermath of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad claiming 260 lives, authorities of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar have decided to conduct an aircraft emergency handling mock drill on June 30. The airport's operational facilities and preparedness to handle any emergency situation was checked on Friday by the BPIA's safety review committee consisting of heads of various stakeholder departments. 'This mock drill has been planned to enhance our preparedness to handle any untoward incident. Medical staff, Odisha Fire and Emergency Service personnel, police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and others will participate,' BPIA Director Prasanna Pradhan told The New Indian Express. He added that while aircraft emergency handling mock drills are mandatory and BPIA has been doing it regularly, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has instructed it to conduct the exercise again. Aircraft emergency handling involves a series of coordinated steps to ensure the safety of passengers and crew in various emergency situations from in-flight problems to forced landings and evacuations. It includes maintaining situational awareness, communicating with Air Traffic Control (ATC) and following established emergency procedures outlined in the aircraft's operating manual. Apart from the mock drill, BPIA will update the airport emergency plan (AEP) that outlines procedures to respond to emergencies. The document defines roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders and establishes communication protocols. While BPIA readies for the mock drill, its officials said birds, tall trees and unauthorised structures around the airport continue to be a cause of serious concern. With the airport situated in the city, bird activity persists as they are getting food to eat and places to nest. As per the guidelines, within a 10 km radius of an airport, certain activities are restricted to ensure aviation safety and minimise environmental impact. These restrictions include prohibitions against animal slaughter, disposal of animal remains, garbage dumping and others. However, various food stalls and fish market around the airport are attracting birds to the area. This apart, bird nesting is taking place at a coconut farm on the premises of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). Sources said BPIA officials will flag multiple obstacles like unauthorised structures, water tanks and tall trees, which are threats to flight movement, to Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
