Sriprakash Jaiswal seeks land for Kanpur airport expansion from Akhilesh Yadav

KANPUR: Union minister and Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to provide 50 acre land to Airport Authority of India for infrastructural expansion of Kanpur airport.

"Kanpur is an important centre of trade and education... there is need for a high-standard airport with all modern facilities here," Jaiswal, who is also a Kanpur MP, said in a statement issued here.

In a letter to Yadav, the coal minister said the city requires a bigger airport with better and hi-tech facilities.

Jaiswal urged the chief minister to provide 50 acre land to AAI for executing the Kanpur expansion plan, the statement said.

AAI has a proposal for construction of a high-standard airport in Chakeri in two phases.

In view of increasing number of passengers, the first phase proposes to expand the terminal building at the air force airstrip and car parking facilities along with facilities to accommodate two A-321 aircrafts.

The blueprint for these has been prepared by the aviation ministry.

The second phase will involve expansion of the airport for which 50 acres of land has to be arranged and a four-lane road constructed for connectivity to the proposed site.

Air services in the city are presently being conducted from the airport designated for the Indian Air Force.