Fairfax, Adani Group and GMR have expressed interest in developing the Rs 2,203-crore greenfield airport in Puri, Odisha on a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The tender was floated by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) in February, 2024.

The three companies participated in the second pre-bid round held on 26 April, 2024. The project cost is Rs 2,203 crore. The airport will have a capacity of handling 4.6 million passengers per annum (MPPA) in the Phase-I, and is expected to be 10.18 MPPA in Phase-II , and in Phase-III, it will be an additional 16.69 MPPA.

The total land area of the airport will be around 1,184 acres out of which 100 acres is earmarked for city side development. The land has been valued at Rs 300 crore. Meanwhile, IDCO will provide a four-lane access road to the airport, which subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to be an international airport. 

As per an official of the commerce and transport department of Odisha, the location at Sipasarubali near Girala in Brahmagiri Mouza was chosen due to its close proximity to Puri and Jagannath Temple. The new airport will cater to the growing demand of international investors visiting the nearby mega industrial hubs and IT hub at Bhubaneswar, positioning Puri as a significant player in the country’s trade and commerce space.

According to AAI data, the Bhubaneshwar airport has witnessed a 26.6 percent hike in passenger demand in FY24.