Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urges Centre to expedite civil aviation projects
on Wednesday urged Union minister of civil aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu to expedite pending issues related to the civil aviation sector in Himachal Pradesh.
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The request was made through a formal letter following discussions held during Sukhu's recent visit to New Delhi.
In the letter, the CM highlighted the proposed expansion of Kangra Airport, for which the state government is in the process of acquiring approximately 150 hectares of land. Awards amounting to over Rs 1,900 crore have been prepared, and Rs 410 crore has already been disbursed.
With the statutory one-year period for land acquisition ending next month, Sukhu requested the ministry to recommend the project to the ministry of finance and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for special central assistance.
Sukhu also raised concerns about the techno-economic feasibility report of Kangra Airport, prepared by a private firm, stating that the estimated costs were on the higher side.
He urged the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to review the report to arrive at a more realistic cost assessment. He also proposed exploring a tripartite agreement involving AAI, the state government, and a private partner to facilitate the airport's expansion.
The CM pointed out that Kangra Airport currently operates under visual flight rules (VFR), which require a minimum visibility of five kilometres. He recommended introducing special VFR operations to reduce the visibility requirement to 2.5 km, enabling flight operations during low-visibility conditions. Given that Kangra is the largest and busiest airport in the state, Sukhu also called for the installation of night landing facilities.
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Sukhu also requested the deployment of state police for airport security at Kullu and Shimla airports, similar to the arrangement at Kangra Airport, replacing the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He also sought an extension of watch hours at Shimla Airport from 1 pm to 4 pm to allow a broader window for flight operations.
To enhance infrastructure at Shimla Airport, the CM urged the provision of a second apron suitable for ATR 42/600 aircraft, which would support increased and simultaneous flight operations.
He also called for the resumption of daily flights on the Shimla-Dharamshala-Shimla sector by Alliance Air.
Sukhu requested operational authorisation for heliports at Sanjauli, Rampur, Baddi, and Kangnidhar by Oct this year. He added that under the Udan (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity scheme's second phase, four additional heliports should be sanctioned at Jaskot in Hamirpur, Dehra in Kangra, and one each in Una and Bilaspur districts to boost air connectivity. He noted that air operators such as Heritage Aviation, Global Vectra, and Pawan Hans Ltd would be directed to operationalise their routes under the Udan scheme.
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