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Regular-article-logo Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Ganjam may get flight training centre - Aviation training centre officials visit Rangeilunda airstrip; it was built by the British during the Second World War

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SUNIL PATNAIK Published 14.10.10, 12:00 AM

Berhampur, Oct. 13: A second flying training institute may be set up at Rangeilunda airstrip in Ganjam district.

Captain M. P. Mander, the chief flying instructor of the Aviation Training Centre, Bhubaneswar, and Pradeep Chakraborty, the wing commander, surveyed the airstrip today.

Located at a distance of about 5km from Berhampur and adjacent to Berhampur University, the airstrip at Rangeilunda was built by the British during the Second World War.

The runway is often used by the defence establishments, chief minister and VVIPs and private companies to reach Berhampur.

Rangeilunda airstrip spread over 40 acres of land is controlled by the Public Works Department (PWD).

“Though the runway of the airstrip is used only eight to ten times in a year, we maintain it regularly. The length of the runway is 720 meter and it is ready now for the flying training institute,” said P.K. Das executive engineer PWD.

“We have agreed to provide all necessary infrastructure facilities to the Union ministry of civil aviation to use Rangeilunda airstrip as a flying training institute,” collector Ganjam V.K. Pandian said.

Earlier, a senior pilot of the ministry of civil aviation had also visited the area and asked the engineers to build a few rooms to house the pilot training institute.

“As there is traffic congestion in the runway at the Bhubaneswar airport, the civil aviation ministry has identified Rangeilunda airstrip for the purpose,” official sources said.

“At least 50 trainees would be trained at Rangeilunda in the first phase and 100 in the second phase.”

“But steps must be taken to lengthen the runway to 1.3km from the present 720 meter,” he added.

Large trees and other obstacles near the airstrip must be removed to facilitate training”, said Captain Mander.

“Once the airstrip is developed, it would give a boost to tourism in Orissa and create more business opportunities in the state,” said MLA Gopalpur Pradip Panigrahi.

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