Construction of new domestic terminal building at Patna Airport on Wednesday

PATNA: The construction work for the new terminal building and other auxiliary units at the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport is moving at a fast pace after being hit by delays in the take-off of the infrastructure projects.

Centre has allocated Rs 1,216 crore to the Airports Authority of India for the new terminal, which the Patna airport authorities hope to complete within two years. The two-storey structure is targeted to be ready by October 2022. The terminal will have the departure lounge on the first floor and arrival area on the ground floor.

“We need to keep the existing terminal building operational till the new one comes up,” said K S Vijayan, general manager (engineering), projects, AAI Patna . He added that relocating utility services and dismantling the existing structures to make way for the new terminal is a challenging task.

“To ensure that passengers don’t suffer, extension of the existing building is in progress which is spread over 1,850sqm on the eastern side of the terminal building, which is likely to be ready within one month,” Vijayan told this newspaper.

The extended area of the terminal will have security hold, check-in counters, X-ray baggage machines, male and female frisking booths, shopping outlets, retail segments and lounge facility.

Nearly 45% work on the cargo complex, technical block, fire station, air traffic control tower and multi-level car parking, has been completed. “These auxiliary buildings would be operational by March 2021. Two floor of G+5 multi-level car parking is complete, now the construction company is working on slab casting for the third floor,” Vijayan said.

Around 40% has been completed on the residential area of the airport, where six buildings are being constructed to accommodate 108 aviation employees.

Vijayan said, “One of the three hangars coming up on the land provided by the state government was nearing completion and it would be ready within a week. Total three hangars and offices of flying club and civil aviation, VIP room and guesthouse will also come up. For this we are demolishing the old structure.”

The construction work on IMD building would begin once the IMD headquarters in New Delhi finalises the layout of the new building.

