Vellore Airport
Vellore Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Civil Aviation | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Serves | Vellore Metropolitan Area | ||||||||||
| Location | AbdullaPuram, Vellore, Tamil Nadu | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1934 | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 233 m (764 ft) | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 12°54′31″N 079°04′00″E / 12.90861°N 79.06667°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  VOVR Location in Vellore  VOVR VOVR (India) | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Vellore Airport (ICAO: VOVR) is located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. It serves Vellore and Adjoining districts such as Ranipettai, Thiruvannamalai and Tirupattur in Tamilnadu and also serves the parts of Chittoor District in Andhra pradesh. This airport exactly sits at a distance of 150 kilometres apart from Karnataka's Bangalore's International Airport. As of 2020[update], it is revived and under construction.
History
[edit]In July 2006, it was re-activated in as a part of Airports Authority of India idle airports activation programme to facilitate regular flying by trainee pilots of the Madras Flying Club whose operations were restricted with the increase in scheduled aircraft movement at Chennai Airport.[1][2] The club stopped its training activities in March 2011.[3]
The Government of Tamil Nadu had announced that it would speed up the construction of a terminal building and make the airport fully functional by 2009 to allow operation by 45-seater ATR aircraft. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has embarked on an "idle airports activation programme" in the Southern region that includes Vellore.[1] The Government plans to set up an aeronautical training institute and pilot academy in collaboration with Airports Authority of India.[4] According to the latest news, the State Highways Department has to hand over 775 meters of land on Abdullapuram-Alangayam Road to the Airports Authority of India for completion of the airstrip at the upcoming Vellore Airport.[5][6]
The airport was revived under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the MoCA in 2018. The AAI is planning to expand the airport by 66 acres to extend the airstrip and make it suitable for operation of a 20-seater aircraft under RCS.[7] Currently runway and terminal building works are under progress, all the required infrastructure works was said to be ready by June 2019 for operations[8] but the operation has failed to meet deadline and delayed many times, which has slowed the operation, the officials blame Highway Department for delay in handing over land for road space.[9][10]
Again, in April 2023 it was reported that the Vellore Airport was being operationalized with the UDAN scheme.[11] In September 2023, it was reported that initial tests of signaling and other equipment were successful and that the airport would imminently be opened for commercial flight operations.[12]
Layout and infrastructure
[edit]The runway expansion of 850 meters (2,790 ft) is in works, to accommodate 20-seat aircraft.[10]
Current status
[edit]Runway, taxiway and terminal building works were reported complete by 2022, with a mobile air traffic control tower in use pending a permanent structure.[13] In September and October 2023, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) carried out signal and navigation-equipment testing, and a security team inspected the facility ahead of a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) site visit, which officials said would be followed shortly by the launch of regular services.[13] Officials cited outstanding land acquisition and the pending demolition of a cremation shed within airport premises, requiring district administration clearance, as remaining hurdles at the time.[13]
In February 2025, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha that development of the airport had been completed and that its licensing process was under way; of five Tamil Nadu airports selected for the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN, only Salem had begun commercial operations at that point.[14] As of November 2025, the airport was still described in press reports as under construction.[15]
As of November 2025[update] no aerodrome licence had been confirmed as issued and no scheduled commercial flights had commenced.
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Six idle airports to be activated". The Hindu. 17 August 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "Madras Flying Club gets access to Vellore airstrip". The Hindu. 23 July 2006. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "AAI tells Madras Flying Club to stop training on Vellore airstrip". The Hindu. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "TN Policy notes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ↑ "State Highways Department begins work on parallel road to Vellore Airport". The Hindu. 3 October 2020.
- ↑ Madhavan, T. (5 March 2020). "AAI awaits land to complete runway work at Vellore airport". The Hindu.
- ↑ "Vellore may get airport soon". The Hindu. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ↑ "SVellore airport infrastructure to be ready by June 2019: AAI". The Hindu. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
- ↑ Staff Reporter (22 August 2019). "Delay in handing over land hits Vellore airport project". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- 1 2 Staff Reporter (12 December 2019). "Land acquisition woes delay Vellore airport project, again". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "India Starting Flights To Vellore Under UDAN Scheme". MENAFN- Bangladesh Monitor. 4 April 2023.
- ↑ "Vellore airport nears completion, safety measures reviewed". 5 October 2023.
- 1 2 3 Tharian Mathew (30 November 2023). "DGCA to inspect Vellore airport this month; regular services soon". DT Next. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ "Development of Neyveli and Vellore airports completed, licensing process under way: MoCA". The Hindu. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
- ↑ "State Highways begins widening of Vellore – Tirupattur main road near new airport". The Hindu. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2026.