Vellore Airport

Vellore Airport
Vellore Airport
	IATA: none; ICAO: VOVR;
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Ministry of Civil Aviation
Operator	Airports Authority of India
Serves	Vellore Metropolitan Area
Location	Abdullapuram, Vellore, Tamil Nadu
Opened	1934; 90 years ago
Elevation AMSL	233 m / 764 ft
Coordinates	12°54′31″N 079°04′00″E / 12.90861°N 79.06667°E / 12.90861; 79.06667
Map
	VOVR Location in Vellore VOVR VOVR (India)
Runways

Vellore Airport (ICAO: VOVR) is located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. It serves Vellore and Adjoining districts. As of 2020^[update], it is revived and under construction.

History

In July 2006, it was re-activated in as a part of Airports Authority of India idle airports activation programme to facilitate regular flying by trainee pilots of the Madras Flying Club whose operations were restricted with the increase in scheduled aircraft movement at Chennai AirportThe Madurai airport flies internationally to 3 main destinations.Which included the Dubai airport,Singapore Changi AirPort and the Colombo bandaranaike airport.^[1]^[2] The club stopped its training activities in March 2011.^[3]

The Government of Tamil Nadu had announced that it would speed up the construction of a terminal building and make the airport fully functional by 2009 to allow operation by 45-seater ATR aircraft. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked on an "idle airports activation programme" in the Southern region that includes Vellore.^[1] The Government plans to set up an aeronautical training institute and pilot academy in collaboration with Airports Authority of India.^[4] According to the latest news, the State Highways Department has to hand over 775 meters of land on Abdullapuram-Alangayam Road to the Airports Authority of India for completion of the airstrip at the upcoming Vellore Airport.^[5]^[6]

The airport was revived under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the MoCA in 2018. The AAI is planning to expand the airport by 66 acres to extend the airstrip and make it suitable for operation of a 20-seater aircraft under RCS.^[7] Currently runway and terminal building works are under progress, all the required infrastructure works was said to be ready by June 2019 for operations^[8] but the operation has failed to meet deadline and delayed many times, which has slowed the operation, the officials blame Highway Department for delay in handing over land for road space.^[9]^[10]

Again, in April 2023 it was reported that the Vellore Airport was being operationalized with the UDAN scheme.^[11]In September 2023, it was reported that initial tests of signaling and other equipment were successful and that the airport would imminently be opened for commercial flight operations.^[12]

Layout and infrastructure

The runway expansion of 850 meters (2,790 ft) is in works, to accommodate 20-seat aircraft.^[10]

References

^ a b "Six idle airports to be activated". The Hindu. 17 August 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
^ "Madras Flying Club gets access to Vellore airstrip". The Hindu. 23 July 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
^ "AAI tells Madras Flying Club to stop training on Vellore airstrip". The Hindu. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
^ "TN Policy notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
^ "State Highways Department begins work on parallel road to Vellore Airport". The Hindu. 3 October 2020.
^ Madhavan, T. (5 March 2020). "AAI awaits land to complete runway work at Vellore airport". The Hindu.
^ "Vellore may get airport soon". The Hindu. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^ "SVellore airport infrastructure to be ready by June 2019: AAI". The Hindu. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
^ Staff Reporter (22 August 2019). "Delay in handing over land hits Vellore airport project". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
^ a b Staff Reporter (12 December 2019). "Land acquisition woes delay Vellore airport project, again". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
^ "India Starting Flights To Vellore Under UDAN Scheme". MENAFN- Bangladesh Monitor. 4 April 2023.
^ "Vellore airport nears completion, safety measures reviewed". 5 October 2023.

External links

[Six_idle_airports_to_be_activated-1] "Six idle airports to be activated". The Hindu. 17 August 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2012.

[2] "Madras Flying Club gets access to Vellore airstrip". The Hindu. 23 July 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2012.

[3] "AAI tells Madras Flying Club to stop training on Vellore airstrip". The Hindu. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.

[4] "TN Policy notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.

[5] "State Highways Department begins work on parallel road to Vellore Airport". The Hindu. 3 October 2020.

[6] Madhavan, T. (5 March 2020). "AAI awaits land to complete runway work at Vellore airport". The Hindu.

[7] "Vellore may get airport soon". The Hindu. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.

[8] "SVellore airport infrastructure to be ready by June 2019: AAI". The Hindu. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.

[9] Staff Reporter (22 August 2019). "Delay in handing over land hits Vellore airport project". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2019.

[:0-10] Staff Reporter (12 December 2019). "Land acquisition woes delay Vellore airport project, again". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2019.

[11] "India Starting Flights To Vellore Under UDAN Scheme". MENAFN- Bangladesh Monitor. 4 April 2023.

[12] "Vellore airport nears completion, safety measures reviewed". 5 October 2023.