Bhubaneswar: The proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport project at Odisha’s Puri town has received several key approvals from the Centre, revealed Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu in the Rajya Sabha recently.

Naidu made this revelation while replying to a query of BJD Rajya Sabha member Subhasish Khuntia.

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has given in-principle approval to the greenfield airport project on May 6 this year. Similarly, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) recommended environmental clearance for the project June 5, said Naidu.

“The state government is responsible for land acquisition, rehabilitation & resettlement and mandatory environmental clearances for the airport project,” he added.

According to the Union Minister, the Phase-1 of the greenfield airport project is designed to handle 4.6 million passengers annually. The site clearance to the project was given in September, 2023. The Ministry of Defence has also given its no-objection to the project, he said.

In his query, the BJD Rajya Sabha member sought to know the current status of the airport project.

The proposed airport is expected to play a key role in tourism development, employment generation and regional development.

Once executed, the Puri airport will be the second international airport in Odisha after the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar.