Hisar set for regional air connectivity by July

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 17

Civil Aviation Minister Rao Narbir Singh today said the state government had requested the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to give clearance for developing Hisar as an integrated aviation hub.

He said the case for site clearance was taken up during successive meetings of the steering committee of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.

He said it was expected that the Hisar airport would be ready for operations under the Regional Connectivity Service Scheme of the Centre by July.

He recalled that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on December 29, 2014, that the Hisar aerodrome would be elevated to the level of an international airport.

Narbir said the state government had set apart about 4,200 acres adjoining the existing airstrip in Hisar, 165 km from New Delhi, to capitalise on opportunities arising out of the booming aviation sector.

He said with an operational flying club being run by the state government on 196 acres, it was an ideal site for development as an integrated aviation hub.

He said Hisar, having a large cantonment close to Punjab and Rajasthan, was ideal for the defence and aerospace industry. He said Hisar had a functional airport where scheduled flights had operated.

On a query from the Civil Aviation Department, the Union Ministry clarified that since the proposal of the state government for upgrade or expansion of the existing airstrip was considered as a brownfield airport project, site clearance by the steering committee would not be required.

Once developed, a separate proposal needed to be submitted to the ministry by the state government for commencing international operations for grant of international status to the upgraded Hisar airport.

It was further stated that in case a decision to develop the existing airstrips in Hisar attained finality, the proposals for construction of a new greenfield airport would be treated as withdrawn.

The development of a brownfield airport would require significantly fewer clearances. A letter was sent to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation withdrawing request for site clearance as a greenfield project.

Narbir said the state government was proceeding with plans to develop an international aviation hub. He said an MoU was signed with the Airport Authority of India on December 11, 2017, for technical assistance in setting up infrastructure and other facilities for the project.

The minister said a proposal for enhancing rail connectivity between Delhi and Hisar was also under active consideration.

He said a proposal for developing controlled access expressway from Delhi to Hisar was under consideration as well.

He said it had been decided that the four-lane national highway between New Delhi and Hisar would be converted into a six-lane controlled access expressway.