Airport officials clarify land acquistion rumours

There is no move to acquire 300 acres for the expansion of the Coimbatore Airport, according to Airport Authority of India (AAI) sources.

The sources said that a technical proposal forwarded by them to the AAI head quarters had mentioned the required extent of land. After approving the plan the Union Government would take it up with the State Government.

The sources said that in the first phase of expansion from 7,500 ft to 8,500 ft no habitations were disturbed. In the second phase, wherein the AAI had planned to expand the runway to 9,700 ft, 20 acres were sought and that too did not involve even a single habitation.

In both the phases of expansion, no residential area was disturbed. Even technically the runway alignment was only towards vacant land, they said.

Vested interests


It was real estate agents/brokers and those vested interests deliberately creating panic among the residents in a bid to bring down the prices of land and properties around the airport, sources added.

The District Collector had already announced that neither the airport authorities nor the Government had sought land in this connection.

K. Subbarayan, MP, said that certain groups were spreading rumours that land and houses right from Karunanidhi Nagar to GKR Nagar would be acquired for expanding the Coimbatore Airport. The State Government at no point of time had stated that it had plans to acquire colonies and habitations for any project.

He said that he would stand by the residents if at all there was any move to acquire the land.