The Puducherry airport will go on stream from October 10 with the Spice Jet Airlines operating an ATR flight to Bangalore, Welfare and Tourism Minister P Rajavelu told the territorial assembly today as per a PTI report.

The Airlines had obtained clearance from the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate the flight, he said in response to a query by P.Karthikeyan (AINRC). Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfishers had also informed that they would depute their technical team to study feasibility of operating flights from Puducherry to other destinations.

Giving details of the progress of work in the airport at Lawspet near here, he said a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Puducherry Administration and Airports Authority of India in June 2007 for expansion of the airport in two phases. Under Phase-I, extension of existing runway by 260 metres was taken up to enable landing of ATR type of aircraft along with ground support facilities. An extent of 19.92 hectares within Puducherry State limits was acquired for the purpose at Rs 18.95 crore and handed over to AAI in July 2007.

Phase-II comprised extension of an additional 1100 meters of runway by acquiring 200 acres in neighbouring Tamilnadu State limits to operate large jet aircraft. The runway length, which was earlier 1,222 metres, had now been extended to 1,482 metres, he said. AAI had completed the runway and facilities for night landing of aircraft. A terminal building, which could handle 300 passengers, was now under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.