Dhamra Port is one of India’s faster-growing deepwater ports — a natural harbour in Bhadrak district of Odisha where the Dhamra River meets the Bay of Bengal, now operated by the Adani Group after acquiring it from Tata Steel in 2014. The port handles bulk cargo including coking coal, thermal coal, iron ore, and fertiliser, and is positioned to become one of the major ports on India’s eastern coastline as Odisha’s industrial economy expands. An airport alongside a major port is a natural complement: executives visiting the facility, logistics professionals, government officials, and crew movements all generate aviation demand that road and rail struggle to serve efficiently in a remote coastal location. Dhamra Airport — in Balimunda Village, Bhadrak district — is being built precisely for this purpose. The Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL), under the Adani Group, proposed the airport in 2018, signed an MoU with the Odisha government in November 2018, began construction in 2023, achieved a test landing on 1,200 metres of operational runway on 29 January 2025, and is building toward a full 3,200-metre runway designed for both cargo and passenger operations. No IATA code, no ICAO code, no scheduled commercial flights as of mid-2026.
Quick Overview: Dhamra Airport
| Detail | Information |
| Airport Name | Dhamra Airport (also: Dhamra Airstrip) |
| Location | Balimunda Village, Basudevpur block, Bhadrak district, Odisha |
| Serves | Dhamra Port and surrounding zone |
| Airport Type | Private — Under construction (greenfield) |
| IATA Code | Not Assigned |
| ICAO Code | Not Assigned |
| Owner | Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) — Adani Group |
| MoU with Odisha Government | November 2018 |
| Land Acquisition Approved | January 2020 (274 acres; 500 acres total planned) |
| Total Project Cost | ~₹500 crore |
| Planned Runway Length | 3,500 m (Wikipedia) / 3,200 m (Grokipedia) |
| Runway Operational (Jan 2025) | 1,200 m (partial; test flight 29 January 2025) |
| Coordinates | 20°49′24″N, 86°57′46″E |
| Distance from Dhamra Port | ~20 km |
| Distance from Bhadrak City | ~50 km |
| Nearest Weather Station | Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar |
| Flight Information Region | Kolkata FIR |
| Scheduled Commercial Flights | None (as of mid-2026) |
| Primary Purpose | Port logistics; executive aviation; future cargo and passenger |
Dhamra Airport Location: Bay of Bengal’s Industrial Coast
Dhamra Airport is located in Balimunda Village in the Basudevpur block of Bhadrak district, Odisha, at coordinates 20°49′24″N, 86°57′46″E. The airport is approximately 20 kilometres from Dhamra Port itself — positioned slightly inland from the port’s coastal edge to avoid the immediate waterfront zone while remaining within practical reach of port operations.
Bhadrak district sits in coastal northern Odisha, between Bhubaneswar (approximately 105 km south) and Balasore to the north. The Dhamra River — a distributary of the Brahmani — flows through the district to the sea, and the port at its mouth is surrounded by mangrove-fringed tidal zones that form part of the Bhitarkanika National Park’s buffer area. Bhitarkanika — Odisha’s second largest wildlife sanctuary, known for its saltwater crocodiles, Irrawaddy dolphins, and olive ridley sea turtle nesting beaches at Gahirmatha — is adjacent to the port and airport zone. This ecological proximity makes the airport’s development environmentally sensitive, and the land acquisition and construction process has required careful handling of forest and coastal zone regulations.
The port’s cargo volumes — handling bulk commodities that are critical to Odisha’s steel and power sector — drive the core aviation demand case. Executives from Adani Group, from Tata Steel (which continues to use the port), and from the broader cargo ecosystem of shipping companies, stevedores, and logistics operators all generate a steady need for fast access to and from the port that road travel from Bhubaneswar cannot provide efficiently.
Dhamra Airport Code: No IATA, No ICAO
Dhamra Airport has no assigned IATA code and no assigned ICAO code as of mid-2026. Both designations are assigned after the aerodrome receives its DGCA licence — a formal process that requires the physical airport to be operationally complete and meet all safety and infrastructure standards. Neither condition had been met as of mid-2026. The airport does not publish METAR data and does not appear in any airline booking system.
Dhamra Airport Terminal: Construction Underway, Test Flight Completed
The development story at Dhamra Airport accelerated through 2023 and 2024. After the initial 2018 proposal and November 2018 MoU — under which the Odisha government gave in-principle approval for a commercial airport on 500 acres with a 3,500-metre runway at a cost of ₹500 crore — and the January 2020 state approval for 274 acres of land acquisition for the initial airstrip, physical construction commenced in 2023 on the greenfield site.
By January 2025, approximately 1,200 metres of the planned 3,200-metre runway had been constructed and was in operational condition for small aircraft. A test flight landed at Dhamra Airport on 29 January 2025 — confirming the runway’s capability and marking the project’s most concrete milestone to date. The full 3,200-metre runway, when complete, will be capable of handling narrow-body jet aircraft in the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 class — a specification that reflects both the airport’s cargo ambitions and the Adani Group’s intention to eventually operate commercial passenger services.
No terminal building for public commercial passenger use had been completed as of mid-2026. The operational infrastructure is focused on the runway, apron, and basic ground handling for the port’s aviation needs. A full-specification passenger terminal with check-in counters, departure lounge, and customs/immigration infrastructure would be required before any scheduled commercial or international flights could operate.
The Odisha government’s 2025 announcement identifying 14 unused airstrips for upgrade into operational airports references the state’s broader aviation ambitions, within which Dhamra Airport — though privately owned by DPCL rather than the state — is positioned as a complementary industrial aviation facility.
Dhamra Airport Connectivity: No Scheduled Flights; Port and Cargo Focus
By Air: No scheduled commercial passenger flights operate from Dhamra Airport as of mid-2026. The airport’s partial runway has been used for test and general aviation purposes following the January 2025 test flight. Port executives and visitors use private charter or road access from Bhubaneswar.
By Road: Dhamra Port is approximately 20 km from the airport site. Bhadrak city is approximately 50 km from the port zone. Bhubaneswar is approximately 105 km south via NH-53 and state highways — around 2 to 2.5 hours by road. Cuttack is approximately 95 km south. OSRTC buses and private taxis serve the Bhadrak-Bhubaneswar corridor.
By Rail: Bhadrak Railway Station — on the Howrah-Chennai main line of East Coast Railway — is approximately 50 km from the port, with trains to Bhubaneswar (approximately 1.5 hours), Kolkata, Chennai, and other cities.
Dhamra Airport Amenities: Construction Phase, No Public Facilities
There are no public passenger amenities at Dhamra Airport. The site is a private greenfield construction project. No check-in counters, departure lounge, food services, or public ground transport are available. Once the full runway and terminal building are operational and DGCA licensing is obtained, the airport will serve port-related executive aviation, cargo flights, and potentially domestic commercial passenger services. No confirmed timeline for these milestones had been publicly announced as of mid-2026.
FAQs: Dhamra Airport
Q1. Does Dhamra Airport have an IATA or ICAO code?
No. Dhamra Airport has no assigned IATA code and no ICAO code as of mid-2026. Both are issued after DGCA aerodrome licensing, which requires the physical airport to be completed to specified standards — not yet achieved.
Q2. Who owns Dhamra Airport?
Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL), an Adani Group entity, owns the airport. DPCL operates Dhamra Port and proposed the airport to support port logistics and executive aviation.
Q3. What happened at Dhamra Airport on 29 January 2025?
A successful test flight landed on the 1,200-metre operational section of Dhamra Airport’s runway — confirming the partial runway’s readiness and marking the first aircraft landing at the greenfield site.
Q4. What will the full airport be capable of when completed?
The full 3,200-metre runway will support Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 class narrow-body jet operations — suitable for domestic commercial passenger flights and significant cargo aircraft. Total investment is approximately ₹500 crore across 500 acres.
Q5. What is the nearest commercial airport to Dhamra?
Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar (BBI) at approximately 105 km south is the nearest major commercial airport. Berhampur Airport (QBM) is further south and has only minimal services.
