UditVani, Jamshedpur: The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) oresident Manav Kedia has strongly reiterated the long-pending demand for an airport and regular air services in Jamshedpur, calling it an urgent necessity for the city’s industrial and economic growth.
In a detailed letter addressed to Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ramamohan Naidu, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, and Tata Steel Global CEO and MD T.V. Narendran, Kedia highlighted the city’s strategic importance and the pressing need for air connectivity.
Referring to Jamshedpur’s more than 100-year-old legacy as one of India’s foremost industrial and steel hubs, Kedia noted that despite its stature, the city continues to remain without a commercial airport.
He described Jamshedpur (Tatanagar) as the financial and industrial capital of Jharkhand and pointed out that the absence of air connectivity forces residents, industrialists, businesspersons, officials, students and the general public to travel to Ranchi or Kolkata for flights, causing significant inconvenience.
He termed this situation contrary to the vision of “Viksit Bharat” and the principles of “Ease of Doing Business”.
Kedia recalled that the Dhalbhumgarh airport project was inaugurated in 2019 by the then Chief Minister Raghubar Das and then Union Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha, following the signing of an MoU between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Jharkhand government.
However, he said the project has remained stalled for nearly six years due to forest and environmental clearances.
Suggesting a practical interim solution, the SCCI president proposed that until a permanent airport becomes operational, regional air services could be launched immediately from Sonari Airport in Jamshedpur with minor modifications.
He stated that the existing runway is suitable for operating small turboprop aircraft such as the HAL DO-228, enabling daily flights between Jamshedpur and Kolkata and other cities.
He also pointed to the possibility of runway expansion, with Tata Steel and town administration playing a key role.
Kedia emphasised that the introduction of an airport and regular air services would not only ease travel but also boost trade, industry, employment, environmental protection, road safety and government revenue.
He expressed hope that both the Centre and the state government would take an early and positive decision on this justified demand, providing long-awaited relief to the people of Jamshedpur.
