In a big boost to Buddhist pilgrimage in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport today on October 20th in the august presence of State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and a 130-member strong delegation led by Sri Lankan cabinet minister Namal Rajapaksa.
The airport is aimed at boosting tourism on the Buddhist circuit, as the ancient city of Kushinagar is the final resting place of Gautama Buddha, where he attained Mahaparinirvana after his death. This is the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh.
While addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, “Kushinagar International Airport is the result of decades of aspiration and effort. My happiness is two-fold today. This is the moment of fulfilling a commitment towards the people of Purvanchal.” He noted that the Kushinagar International Airport won’t just be a mode of air connectivity rather it will create an ecosystem of business and generate employment opportunities for the local youth.
The prime minister said the development of Kushinagar is a priority for the Uttar Pradesh government as well as the Centre. To this end, special attention is being given to develop the places associated with Lord Buddha, improve connectivity and create facilities for Buddhist devotees.
The Rs. 260-crore Kushinagar International Airport will facilitate pilgrimage to Mahaparinirvana Sthal of Lord Buddha, thereby boosting the economy of the region. Under regional connectivity scheme UDAN, SpiceJet and Truejet have been awarded flights to connect Kushinagar with Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gaya, Bareilly, Shahranpur and Hindon.
Union Civil Aviation Minister JM Scindia said Kushinagar will have direct flights to Delhi four times weekly from November 26th and then Mumbai and Kolkata will also get direct flights to this city from December 18th.
The Kushinagar Airport declared as ‘International Facility’ in last June. AAI has built a new terminal that can handle 300 passengers in an hour and a 3.2-km-long runway along with other associated infrastructure like taxiways and apron.
