Central team to visit Mandi to select airport site

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 23

A high-level team from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation will soon visit Himachal to explore the possibility for the setting up of an international airport in Himachal. This was stated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu during a meeting with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in New Delhi on Monday.

The Chief Minister had raised the issue of construction of an international airport in Mandi district to promote tourism in the state.

The Union Minister instructed officials of the department to send a high- level team soon to Himachal Pradesh to select a suitable site, keeping in mind technical parameters required for an international airport.

The Chief Minister apprised the Union Minister that tourism was a major contributor to the GDP of the state which had immense tourism potential. He said the state was unable to exploit full potential of tourism in the absence of an international airport and good aerial connectivity which was a must to attract the high-end tourists.

Thakur also informed the Union civil aviation minister that the three airports in the state at Shimla, Bhuntar and Gaggal could not be expanded due to unavailability of land in a hilly terrain. He added that flights to these airports were very erratic due to which tourists were unable to benefit.

The Chief Minister also urged the minister to take appropriate steps for extension of Shimla, Gaggal and Bhuntar airports so that bigger aircraft could land here. The Chief Minister said that last year 52.26 lakh tourists visited Mandi and surrounding districts including 1.57 lakh foreign tourists.

He said that due to opening of an IIT, medical colleges, engineering colleges and others educational institutions in Mandi district, there was an urgent need for construction of an airport for better connectivity. Thakur also stressed that setting up of an international airport would help the country from the strategic viewpoint as well as the Chinese border is close.

Why it is needed

• The Chief Minister raised the issue of construction of an international airport in Mandi district with the Union Minister to promote tourism
• He said due to opening of an IIT, medical colleges, engineering colleges and others educational institutions in Mandi district, there was an urgent need for construction of an airport for better connectivity 
• The CM informed the Union Civil Aviation Minister that three airports at Shimla, Bhuntar and Gaggal could not be expanded due to unavailability of the land