Overview
- The approved plan features a 20,000 sq m terminal sized for 1,000 peak-hour passengers, a 3,200 m by 45 m runway and seven bays for A321 aircraft, with an estimated outlay of roughly Rs 1,500–1,507 crore.
- Rajasthan has transferred 440.06 hectares at Shambhupura to the Airports Authority of India, while the existing Kota airfield is deemed unfit for commercial expansion due to land constraints and urbanisation.
- Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu stated the airport is expected to be ready in about two years, with airlines expressing interest and the current airstrip set to host a flying training centre.
- RIICO plans nearly 600 hectares of industrial development near the site to tie new air connectivity to investment and jobs in the Hadoti region.
- The launch also revived a political tussle over credit, with former chief minister Ashok Gehlot citing earlier Congress-era groundwork and BJP leaders pointing to current clearances and commitments.