Team of experts to assess site in Nagaland for airport project

An eight-member team of aviation experts has arrived in Nagaland to conduct a feasibility study for a greenfield airport at Ciethu, around 20 km from Kohima, official sources said.

The team, comprising members of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will be submitting their report to the Centre in the next 10 days, they said.

In 2006, too, a central government team had carried out a field assessment for the ambitious project.

Talking to media persons before heading for the survey, S D Tiwari, the joint general manager of AAI, said the team that arrived in the state on Tuesday will be carrying out a fresh survey at the airport site as the earlier report has been “nullified”.

Tiwari, who left for Ciethu on Wednesday morning along with Nagaland Civil Aviation Minister Paiwang Konyak, also said that the state has submitted its own assessment to the team.

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“The state government’s survey by its own team has relevant information. We will submit both the reports to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for consideration,” he added.

Paiwang said the Nagaland government had “purchased 6.25 acres of land at Ciethu long ago”, but the project got delayed as the 2006 survey report was “incomprehensive”.

He expressed hope that the Union Ministry will approve the latest survey report by AAI and DGCA.

Nagaland, which presently has one airport in Dimapur, will be able have a second aerodrome close to the state capital, once the project gets a nod from the Union government, he added.