Punjab is taking steps for improving domestic air connectivity to fuel the ever-increasing requirements of industrialisation. The state government has secured approval from the ministry of defence for increasing the length and re-carpeting of the runaway of domestic airport at Sahnewal. Airports authority of India (AAI) has already floated the tenders to select a private company to carry out the work.
The runway length will be increased from 4,800 ft to 8,000 ft. The airport is spread over an area of 124.27 acres and airport terminal has the capacity to handle arrival and departure of more than 20 flights.
However, the defence ministry is still considering the proposal of giving the extension for making it cap instrument approach runway. The airport which is efficient in handling 40 to 60 small seater planes is expected to get operational in the mid of 2009.
The state government has secured the required approvals for running two schedule flights per day for the proposed domestic airport in Bathinda. Abhay Chandra, adviser, civil aviation, Punjab informed that the government will identify the land shortly and the department is hopeful of getting the civil terminal ready by middle of 2009. He said both airports would certainly provide a boost to tourism and industrialisation.
Punjab is linked to other states of the country only through Amritsar international airport, which registers three arrivals and three departures of domestic flights a day.
However, Gunbir Singh, vice-chairman, Punjab Council of CII, said there were no connecting flights to Hyderabad, Banglore, Mumbai and Srinagar. He said it was important to link Punjab with major states of the country to give impetus to tourism and industry.
Arun Talwar, airport director, AAI, Amritsar international airport gave a different perspective and said, ?We will appreciate having more domestic flights, but rising cost of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which is hitting the margins of airlines is becoming a deterrent. Some time back, various airlines had surveyed to run more flights linking Punjab with all major cities of the country but plans could not be materialised because they were not economically viable. We have a clear instance before us that flying is not taking place at Pathankot airport because airlines are cutting down on their cost.?