Banda (UP), Apr 26 (IANS): The first tabletop airport of Uttar Pradesh in the Vindhya hill range of Chitrakoot will be operational in the coming months, giving a big boost to tourism and pilgrimage especially in this temple town and the entire Bundelkhand region.

The 'Tabletop Airport' is an airport located and built on top of a plateau or hilly surface, with one or both ends of the runway overlooking a drop.

According to a government spokesman, "currently, the work on approach roads is going on at the airport construction site and it will take some months to finish that work."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been giving special impetus on the development of Bundelkhand region, may inaugurate the Rs 146.5-crore airport project once it is ready.

Chitrakoot holds great importance among Hindu pilgrims.

Legend has it that Chitrakoot was the place where Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana stayed for 11-and-a-half years of their 14-year exile, making it a revered site among pilgrims.

The Chitrakoot airport will be managed by the Airport Authority of India as part of an agreement with the UP government.

After getting a licence from the DGCA, 20-seater aircraft will start flying from Chitrakoot under the Union government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, which is a regional airport development programme of the Centre and is meant to upgrade regional air connectivity of towns and cities.

The Chitrakoot airport will boost air connectivity with other areas of UP and also increase the flow of tourists and pilgrims from other places in the country.