Bhubaneswar, Feb. 10: Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guru Prasad Mohapatra today said Jharsuguda airport would be ready for use by June 2018.

Mohapatra, who is currently on a visit to the state, said 11 aircraft bays and a parallel taxi track would also come up at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.

Mohapatra today went to Jharsuguda to review the progress of airport work there. The state government has provided land for the project. "The project is unique as the airport is being developed both by the Centre and the state. Besides giving land, the state government has also supported the project financially."

The state government inked a memorandum of understanding with the AAI on July 30, 2014 to develop the airport for Rs 210 crore to make it the state's second operational airport after the Bhubaneswar facility.

The existing airstrip in Jharsuguda spreads over 902.22 acres. The state government has provided an additional 296.5 acres free of cost and financial support to the tune of Rs 75 crore to the AAI to develop a full-fledged airport there.

Jharsuguda airport will have two terminals. The existing runway has an air traffic control (ATC) tower, but only chartered aircraft can use it occasionally. Following the modernisation of the airport, even A-320 Airbuses will be able to land there.

"At present, only small chartered aircraft can land here. But, a modern airport with a 1,883-metre runway can ensure landing of even an A-320," said an official.

The airport will have an apron of 288 metres and associated facilities, new ATC building, isolation bay, technical block, fire station and control tower, upgrade of the navigational and visual aids and ground-lighting facilities.

Once the airport comes up, it will connect west Odisha with Bhubaneswar. The airport project is supposed to fuel economic growth in the west Odisha. It has become a necessity as Jharsuguda is considered a major industrial hub of the state with many steel and aluminium industries being located there.

The Vedanta Group's 1.75-million-tonne aluminium smelter and 2,400MW power plant are located in the industrial town. The Aditya Birla Group has one of its largest cement units at Dhutra in the district. There are also a number of thermal power plants in Jharsuguda which is centrally located in west Odisha and 95km away from Rourkela.