Ayodhya airport to follow ‘drop-and-move’ policy on Jan 22

January 11, 2024

Ayodhya: In view of the fact that the newly inaugurated Ayodhya airport will witness unprecedented rush on January 22 when the Pran Pratishtha ceremony takes place at the Ram temple, concerned officials have decided to adopt the ‘drop-and-move’ policy.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) engineering in-charge and project director Ayodhya Airport Rajeev Kulshreshta said, “We have completed all the civil and technical work inside the airport and only final touches are being given to the rest of work. However, on January 22 only about 100 flights (coming and going) would be accommodated. The airport is meticulously managing influx of these flights, mostly of VVIPs, by allocating tight time slots for both landing and take-off, necessitating efficient coordination to avoid congestion. It would be a drop and move affair for all the aircraft as we have limited parking facility in Ayodhya.”

The Ayodhya airport is preparing to handle the January 22 rush on a war footing. Requests for more than 200 flights (chartered and private) have been received by the airport authorities but only about 110 can be accommodated on that day.

A senior official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said, “Ayodhya airport is gearing up to handle more than 100 flights (coming and going included) on January 22, with over 200 flight requests pouring in, comprising both chartered and private flights.”

Director, Ayodhya airport Vinod Kumar said, “To handle the overflow, designated parking spaces in nearby airports such as Prayagraj, Kushinagar, Varanasi and Gorakhpur are being utilized. All these aircraft have been given parking slots at different nearby airports like Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Prayagraj. This strategic approach aims to alleviate the pressure on Ayodhya airport, ensuring a smooth flow of air traffic.”

An official of Air Traffic Control said on condition of anonymity, “Strict adherence to allocated time slots is crucial, as any delay in reaching the airport on time may lead to the cancellation of landing permission or, at least result, in extended wait time in airspace.”