Leh Airport Terminal Update: On Tuesday, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that the new airport terminal in the district of Leh, Ladakh, is likely to become operational by the month of December next year. This was conveyed by the Civil Aviation Union Minister to Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh R K Mathur during a recent virtual meeting. The meeting was held to discuss the progress of ongoing as well as new civil aviation projects for better air connectivity in the region. The new airport terminal at Leh, in the Union Territory of Ladakh may become operational by December 2022, the Civil Aviation Minister was quoted saying in a PTI report.
According to the report, Scindia also agreed to a civil enclosure’s development at Thoise Airport, which is considered the air lifeline to the world’s highest as well as coldest battlefield, by the AAI once land for the project is made available. The minister noted that a team will visit the Union Territory of Ladakh shortly to technically evaluate locations for additional airstrips in Leh district. The Union Minister, as an interim solution, has agreed to look at the possibility of operationalising commercial flight services with smaller jet planes to Kargil.
The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh was requested by the Civil Aviation Minister to consider reducing VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in a bid to encourage more flight services to operate to the UT- Ladakh, stressing that it will become a booster for the tourism industry of Ladakh. The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh requested the Civil Aviation Minister for intervention in regulating winter airfares, support in air ambulances’ operationalisation as well as exploring the possibility of night flight services to Leh.
Meanwhile, Scindia said that he is delighted to have been introduced to the concept model of the soon-to-become Asia’s first Hybrid flying car, developed by VINATA AeroMobility team. The Union Minister was quoted by ANI saying that once this takes off, flying cars would be utilized for transporting cargo and people, as well as for offering medical emergency facilities.