Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Jharsuguda is set for a major expansion after the Centre approved a reported Rs 2,100-crore investment to upgrade the airport’s runway, terminals, aircraft parking and navigation systems. The project is expected to strengthen air connectivity in western Odisha and support more domestic and international flight operations.
The tentative expansion plan includes extending the existing runway from 2,391 metres to 3,600 metres, building a second terminal and developing a new administrative complex. It also proposes a parallel taxi track, additional aircraft parking bays and aprons, approach lighting systems and upgraded navigation infrastructure.
Bargarh MP Pradeep Purohit said the funds had been sanctioned under a mega international airport upgrade scheme and that the Odisha government was undertaking the required land acquisition. “For the expansion of VSS Airport, Rs 2,100 crore has been sanctioned under a mega international upgrade scheme. The state govt is taking up land acquisition. After completion of this process, the funds will be utilised for expansion works,” Purohit said, according to the report.
VSS Airport currently occupies 1,027 acres. The state is in the process of acquiring an additional 226 acres, which will be used for the runway extension, new airport facilities, approach lighting and navigational equipment needed to support larger aircraft operations.
The airport currently handles around 1,000 passengers a day on flights connecting Jharsuguda with Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar. Officials expect passenger traffic to double after the expansion, as additional airlines and routes are introduced. The proposed infrastructure would increase the airport’s ability to handle aircraft movements and passenger demand, although the report does not specify a completion timeline or the routes that may be added.
The upgrade is expected to improve access to Jharsuguda and neighbouring districts while supporting trade, industry and tourism across western Odisha. Better air links could also strengthen connections between the region and major commercial centres in India and abroad, but the extent of that impact will depend on the completion of land acquisition, construction and the subsequent expansion of airline services.
VSS Airport became operational in September 2018 after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was built at a cost of Rs 210 crore, including a Rs 75-crore contribution from the Odisha government. In August 2019, the airport added Doppler Very High-Frequency Omni Range technology, or DVOR, to improve air navigation and air traffic management.
The immediate next step is the completion of land acquisition. Expansion works are expected to begin after that process, when the sanctioned funds are made available for construction and installation of the planned airport infrastructure.
