COIMBATORE: The proposed expansion of Coimbatore International Airport has been approved by NITI Aayog and is awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Expenditure, airport director Mohammad Arif said on Wednesday.Interacting with reporters, Arif said 627 acres of land was needed for the expansion in addition to the airport’s existing 420 acres, taking the total area post-expansion to more than 1,047 acres. He said 621 acres of land had already been handed over to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The remaining six acres of land, acquired by the district administration, is expected to be transferred soon.Arif said the airport had prepared a detailed environmental impact report as mandated by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, and the process of securing final clearance from the Union environment ministry was at its final stage.To ease congestion at the domestic security hold area, expansion work covering around 1,000 sq metres was in progress. “It is expected to be completed by December,” he said.On long-term capacity enhancement, Arif said a new terminal building was planned at an estimated cost of Rs 2,132 crore, spanning 75,000 sq metres and designed to handle 1.20 crore passengers annually, compared to the current capacity of 35 lakh passengers per year. The expansion could be completed in about three years after the start of work, he added.Arif announced that the airport would conduct a 24-day “Yatri Seva Abhiyan” awareness and service camp from Sept 17 to Oct 10 to improve passenger facilities. He said the campaign would include special inspections and initiatives in line with civil aviation ministry guidelines, with monitoring of flight departure and arrival timings, first-aid and medical preparedness, drinking water quality, DigiYatra services and internet connectivity.
