Air connectivity in Jharkhand will increase in the coming days with Government of India's project Udaan. Replying to different questions raised by Member of Parliament from Jharkhand, Mahesh Poddar, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed about the facilities related to air travels in Jharkhand on Wednesday.

Puri informed that there are a total of 706 routes identified for air connectivity in small cities across the country. In Jharkhand, the airline operators have been allotted the routes from Jamshedpur-Kolkata, Bokaro-Kolkata, Bokaro-Patna, Dumka-Kolkata and Dumka-Ranchi under the scheme.

He further said that there are four airports under the management of Airport Authority of India in Jharkhand including Ranchi, Deoghar, Chakuliya and Dhalbhumgarh, of which only Ranchi airport is operational at present.

"The development work at Deoghar and Dhalbhumgarh airports has been started by the AAI. Also, bids for operating flights in Jamshedpur, Bokaro and Dumka airports have also been received," Puri said.

The construction work runway, taxi track, isolation bay, boundary wall, terminal building and ATC tower at Deoghar airport has already started while MoU has been signed between AAI and Government of Jharkhand for development of Dhalbhumgarh airport. AAI has given an administrative approval for expenditure of Rs  99.36 crore for construction of Dhalbhumgarh airport.

Meanwhile, a letter of intent (LoI) has been issued to the selected airlines operator by AAI for the route of Hazaribag-Kolkata.

Puri also informed that the State government has signed a contract with Mumbai based Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd for formation of Commercial Pilot License Training Centre in Dumka.