With Hollongi airport, Northeast set to fly high! PM Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Hollongi airport in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, a step that will eventually give the region better air-connectivity that is certain to spur economic activities and boost the tourism potential of the state. The Hollongi airport was a much-needed one given the fact that Arunachal Pradesh and its capital Itanagar badly require an airport with such capacity. Travelers flying in and flying out from Itanagar will have a hassle-free ride as Hollongi airport will come up 25 kilometres away from the state capital. At present, the nearest airport to Itanagar is located at Lilabari in Assam. The distance between the Lilabari airport and Itanagar is 80 kiloemtetres. The Hollongi Airport will cut short the distance by a fourth.
Salient facts about the upcoming Hollongi airport in Arunachal Pradesh
Big boost to air connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh: The estimated cost of the Hollongi Airport stands at Rs 1, 200 crore. Under the UDAAN Scheme, Arunachal Pradesh is connected with seaplanes, passenger drone services, and helicopter, Sinha said adding that the entire state will get air-connectivity in the next 10 years.
Importance of Hollongi Airport: Apart from being a strategically important airport to India, the Hollongi Airport will have several sustainability features. There will be a green belt along the approach road which will act as a noise barrier. A technology to harvest rainwater will be used at the airport. Additionally, energy-efficient equipment will be installed at the airport.
Larger runway, better topography: Union minister of state for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha has said that after completion, the Hollongi Airport will possess better infrastructure and facilities than the recently opened Pakyong Airport in Sikkim. Sinha has said that the Hollongi Airport will have a larger runway and better topography. He said that a 2,200 meter runway has been proposed for the upcoming Hollongi airport. Jet aircraft will be able to take off and land on this greenfield airport. If needed, international flight operations will be allowed depending upon the demand.
