Bhubaneswar, Nov. 8: The runway of Biju Patnaik International Airport will be widened and a parallel taxiway will be built to facilitate more flight operations.

The widening of the runway aims to accommodate landing of bigger aircraft such as A-300.

"Since the airport is growing and international flights are expected to start operations, we have to remain prepared," said Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra.

Besides, a control tower, fire station and hangar will also be built at the airport within the next two years, he said. The AAI has identified almost 60 acres near the airport for developing a commercial hub.

"The AAI aims to make Bhubaneswar airport self-sustainable by ensuring that the passengers avail themselves of world-class facilities," said the AAI chief, who was in the city today.

Mohapatra said the land would be used to build passenger and aviation related amenities including hospitality and convention centres, and warehouses.

An investment of Rs 2,500 crore has been envisaged for the purpose in the next two to three years wherein direct and indirect employment opportunities will be generated for approximately 50,000 people.

"The proposed development shall be taken up in public private partnership mode for a concession lease periodof 30 years," he said.

A concession lease agreement is a grant of rights of land or property by a government, local authority, corporation, individual or other legal entity. In case of the airport, the AAI would enter into an agreement with the government to have the exclusive right to operate, maintain and carry out investments.

The chairman said that according to the Centre's regional connectivity scheme, flights from the city airport to ones that remain non-functional would be started. These destinations may be within the state or those in the neighbourhood.

On international operations from the airport, Mohapatra said the issue did not come under the AAI's ambit and had to be dealt with by the state government in collaboration with the airlines concerned and the Union civil aviation ministry.

"However, the AAI is prepared to handle such operations within such short notice from the airport," he said.

Moreover, the AAI is focusing on handling cargo operations from the airport. Mohapatra said that in addition to the existing cargo hub at the airport, the Airports Authority of India would shortly form an AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services in association with the Union civil aviation ministry.

"There is a huge scope for handling cargo operations from the airport with the expansion of e-commerce activities," he said.

Notably, cargo movement from the airport has gone up from 4,022 tonnes in 2013-14 to 7,002 tonnes in 2015-16. The airport has handled 1.9 million passengers in 2015-16 and has already been declared a major airport. It was accorded international status in 2013. Round-the-clock operations were started from the airport from September 1.