Simple Flying - Gaurav Joshi
Rourkela airport in India needs to be upgraded before the start of the tournament in January 2023.
Big world events often invite an infrastructure boost for host cities and towns. India’s capital city Delhi received a flashy new Terminal 3 at IGI Airport ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, apart from all the other developments. Now, a tier-2 city in the Indian state of Odisha is racing to upgrade its airport ahead of the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup. But will it meet the deadline?
While Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik Airport (BBI) is suitable for domestic and international operations, Rourkela’s airport is mainly used for private flights and has struggled to start commercial operations, mainly due to inadequate infrastructure.
However, for quite some time, efforts have been made to get the airport ready ahead of the games, with the Odisha government trying to save itself from the embarrassment of not having it ready in time.
