The Punjab government expects domestic flights to take off from the proposed domestic airport in Bathinda, from September this year. The government has paid a total compensation of Rs 3.55 crore to land-owners of village Virak-Kalan, where the airport is expected to come up.
Talking to FE, an official of the civil aviation department of the state said, ?The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon start construction of civil air strip. The total expenditure on the project will be worked out by the AAI. We have permission for running two domestic flights every day from this airport initially. With the implementation of this project, the industrial activity of the city will get a major boost.?
On the other hand, the project to revive dying flying clubs under public-private partnership by the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board has been shelved. ?The highest bidder for the two flying clubs at Ludhiana and Amritsar was the US-based flying school, Indo-American Institute of Aeronautics.
The institute was supposed to spend Rs 2 crore on each flying club but due to the US economic recession the bidder has failed to show up despite repeated requests by the state government,? an official of the civil aviation department pointed out.