Lucknow, Feb 23 (IANS): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given necessary clearance to Kushinagar airport, to make it Uttar Pradesh's third licensed international airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on Tuesday, tweeted that Uttar Pradesh got its third international airport in the form of Kushinagar, and this will help boost tourism in the region.

"Kushinagar airport gets necessary clearances from DGCA to become third licensed international airport of UP. Will boost tourism in the region and facilitate travel on Buddhist circuit by providing direct aviation connectivity to the city where Lord Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana," he said.

The airport is located in the vicinity of several Buddhist cultural sites like Shravasti, Kapilvastu and Lumbini.

The other two international airports in Uttar Pradesh are the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi. Another one that is being built is in Jewar, Greater Noida.

The announcement comes a day after the state government presented Rs 5.5 lakh budget for the coming financial year.

Many development projects, including airports, were the special focus in UP Finance Minister Suresh Khanna's outlay for next year. He announced that a sum of Rs 101 crore has been earmarked for an upcoming airport in Ayodhya that has been named Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram Airport.