The upcoming international airport in Ayodhya, which will be inaugurated ahead of the opening of the Ram Mandir, will be named “Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham”, according to sources. The airport will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on 30 December, along with several protected in Ayodhya, including the redeveloped and renamed Ayodhya Dham Railway station.
Earlier the airport was named Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport, however, now the name is reportedly being changed to Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham.
The city is gearing up for consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir on January 22. PM Modi will launch projects worth more than Rs 11,100 crore to revamp civic facilities and develop world-class infrastructure in Ayodhya and projects worth over Rs 4,600 crore for other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
The first phase of the Ayodhya airport has been completed with a cost of over ₹1,450 crore. The 6,500 square metre terminal building can handle 10 lakh passengers annually. The length of the runway is 2,250 metres in the first phase, which will be increased to 3,125 metres in the second phase, and a further 625 metres in the third phase, making it 3,750 metres.
The terminal building’s facade depicts the architecture of the Ram Mandir while its interiors are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting Lord Ram’s life. The terminal building’s roof is adorned with shikharas of varying heights.
The terminal has several sustainability features, such as an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rain-water harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, a solar power plant and many other facilities, to meet the five-star GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) ratings. The newly-constructed airport is poised to become a major gateway to the temple town.
IndiGo and Air India Express will operate inaugural flights to the new airport. The airlines will connect the city with Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad from January. The airport will be expanded in phase 2 and phase 3, with construction of new terminal buildings, expansion runways and taxiways, and other facilities.