Karaikal: The Karaikal Airport Private Limited project is now lying dormant for more than three years owing to severe fund crunch.
The Union government had rendered the in-principle approval for the Karaikal private airport limited on February, 2011. Likewise other formalities such as the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Puducherry government and clearance from Airport Authority of India (AAI) except for the environmental clearances were obtained by the Coimbatore-based Super Airport Infrastructure company.
Though Super Airport Infrastructure asserted that the airport construction works at Karaikal would commence by the first quarter of 2014, even after half the calendar years have passed, not even a rubble has moved in the vast 350 acres of land acquired towards the construction of Karaikal Greenfield Airport at Nedungadu commune of Karaikal enclave.
Severe fund crunch for raising a minimum of Rs 100 crores to commence the construction works including a shorter runway of 1.2 kilometre stretch was noted as the reason and options for the private firm to generate fund through private investors from Puducherry, TN and even from France has failed to yield positive results so far. Karaikal airport private limited was vowed to be the first of its kind airport to handle the entire operations except for security arrangements which would be manned by the UT government, and for the air traffic control tower which would be operated by AAI.
27/10/14 S Deepak Karthik/New Indian Express
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The Union government had rendered the in-principle approval for the Karaikal private airport limited on February, 2011. Likewise other formalities such as the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Puducherry government and clearance from Airport Authority of India (AAI) except for the environmental clearances were obtained by the Coimbatore-based Super Airport Infrastructure company.
Though Super Airport Infrastructure asserted that the airport construction works at Karaikal would commence by the first quarter of 2014, even after half the calendar years have passed, not even a rubble has moved in the vast 350 acres of land acquired towards the construction of Karaikal Greenfield Airport at Nedungadu commune of Karaikal enclave.
Severe fund crunch for raising a minimum of Rs 100 crores to commence the construction works including a shorter runway of 1.2 kilometre stretch was noted as the reason and options for the private firm to generate fund through private investors from Puducherry, TN and even from France has failed to yield positive results so far. Karaikal airport private limited was vowed to be the first of its kind airport to handle the entire operations except for security arrangements which would be manned by the UT government, and for the air traffic control tower which would be operated by AAI.
27/10/14 S Deepak Karthik/New Indian Express
