Cabinet approves development of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of Airports Authority of India (AAI) for development of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi with an outlay of Rs 2,870 crore. It includes Construction of New Terminal Building, Apron Extension, Runway Extension, Parallel Taxi Track & Allied works.

Funded by Airport Authority of India’s (AAI)

The expansion, which will be funded by Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) internal resources, will include construction of a new terminal building, apron extension, runway extension, parallel taxi track and allied works.

Why Kashi?

“Kashi is a city which is becoming a traction point for the world. There is a lot of potential for tourism, pilgrimage and economic activity. The project will include building of a new terminal, runway expansion and developing the highway as an underpass to give full length to the runway,” he said, adding that the project will be funded fully via AAI’s internal resources. The terminal will be developed as a project to showcase culture of India (Bharat ki Sanskriti). Vaishnaw added that the airport will be developed as a green airport to ensure minimum consumption of energy and that, too, using solar energy.

Official Statement

As per the official statement, the New Terminal Building, which encompasses an area of 75,000 sqm is designed for a capacity of 6 MPPA (million passenger per annum) and for handling 5,000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP). It is designed to offer a glimpse of the vast cultural heritage of the city. The proposal, it added, includes extending the runway to the dimensions 4,075m x 45m and constructing a new apron to park 20 aircraft.

Varanasi airport as a green airport

“Varanasi airport will be developed as a green airport with the primary objective of ensuring environmental sustainability through energy optimisation, waste recycling, carbon footprint reduction, solar energy utilisation, and incorporation of natural daylighting, alongside other sustainable measures throughout the planning, development, and operational stages.