Grant of licence for Neyveli airport is subject to clearance of regulatory and security requirements, says Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation

NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has applied for an Aerodrome Licence for Neyveli Airport and the grant of the licence is subject to clearance of regulatory and security requirements, said Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Thursday.

Replying to a question by Cuddalore Member of Parliament M.K. Vishnu Prasad in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Mohol said the Neyveli Airport in Tamil Nadu, owned by NLC India Limited, was identified for development under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN.

An expenditure of ₹27.11 crore has been incurred on its development. Under UDAN Round 4.2, the Neyveli-Chennai route was awarded to Air Taxi for operation with a 9-seater aircraft.

NLCIL has applied for grant of an Aerodrome licence and the grant of the licence is subject to completion of the applicable regulatory and security requirements by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) respectively and installation of requisite Meteorological equipment by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The RCS flight operation from Neyveli airport is subject to readiness of the airport, he said.

Mr. Mohol said that development of airport infrastructure, including runway length, apron, terminal building and allied facilities, was a continuous process undertaken based on technical feasibility, traffic demand, availability of land, statutory and regulatory clearances and operational requirements.