Lower tax on aviation fuel and the Government’s impetus to enhance Birsa Munda Airport’s feasibility for industrial transportations has boosted air traffic as well as commercial revenue generated from Jharkhand’s largest airport. In a tete-a-tete with The Pioneer, Airport Director Vinod Sharma gave an insight on the current situation of the airport and the plans in the pipeline. Sharma –a man who seemed visibly busy signing documents and holding impromptu discussions with his subordinates at the airport office on Friday—feels that promoting business in the airport premises will be the most effective way of adding a fillip to the commercial revenue generated here. Excerpts from the conversation:
Since the Government came to power in 2014, it has been claiming that cargo facility at the airport will boost industries here. How is the demand for the air cargo facility?
The air cargo facility here is finding new takers and its demand has increased at least by 30 per cent compared to last year. The demand is clearly visible if we talk in terms of tonnage. The cargo tonnage in year 2017-2018 was 4937 tonnes and in year 2018-2019, it has increased to 6500 tonnes. We expect it to further increase in the days to come. At present, we are only offering domestic cargo, but international air cargo facility in Ranchi may also be a reality soon.
What is the commercial viability of the airport and how are you planning to increase the revenue?
I, personally, feel that the best way to generate commercial revenue is by promoting business in the airport. You may have noticed that many new shops have opened in the airport. Also, we have a full fledged restaurant and a busy food court too. We will soon float a tender for a restaurant cum bar, which will further boost the revenue.
The tax on aviation fuel is lower in Jharkhand compared to other states. How has this helped the Birsa Munda Airport?
In Jharkhand, the tax on aviation fuel is only 4 per cent, so it is obvious that many airlines prefer to refill in Ranchi. The lower tax has certainly helped us a lot in getting new flights. However, new flights and their frequency depend on a lot of other factors too, especially the travelling preferences of passengers from a particular city and the destinations they frequent.
Ranchi airport is still not connected to some of the important cities in India. What are the plans to increase connectivity?
We already have around 30 flights and the ones to New Delhi have the highest demand. In the next three months or so, we may get around three new flights. However, two of them will be for New Delhi as the demand is higher for flights to the national capital. Many airline companies have also shown interest in flying to Chennai and other parts of South India. We are still in talks.
Bird hits are a major concern in almost every airport in India. What are you doing to prevent such accidents in Ranchi?
The number of bird hit cases has reduced in Ranchi. Last year, there were around five cases and this year we have had two such cases. We have deployed bird chasers who chase away birds with batons. We have also installed zone guns to scare away birds from the runway. Reflecting ribbons and whistling noise vehicles are also being used. Besides, Birsa Agriculture University (BAU) is conducting a study on the reasons why birds flock to airports. The report will give us a better idea on how to tackle the issue.
We have an international bay in the airport, but there are no international flights. By when should we expect international flights from Ranchi?
The flight frequency depends on the demand. We will have to have a demand for international destinations among flyers in order to get proposals from airline companies.
It will happen gradually. Also, international flights require additional facilities such as immigration.
