Vellore Airport (ICAO: VOVR) is located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. It serves Vellore and Adjoining districts. As of 2020[update], it is revived and under construction.
Vellore Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
History
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 AirportThe Madurai airport flies internationally to 3 main destinations.Which included the Dubai airport,Singapore Changi AirPort and the Colombo bandaranaike 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
The runway expansion of 850 meters (2,790 ft) is in works, to accommodate 20-seat aircraft.[10]