Hope floats for takeoff from Shimla

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 3

A technical team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) along with representatives of Alliance Air will visit the Jubbarhatti airport next week to inspect the work completed for resumption of flights after a gap of over three years.

The AAI held a meeting with senior functionaries from Himachal Pradesh in Delhi on September 29 in which October 6 was finalised as the tentative date for the visit of the team.

There has not been any regular flight from the Jubbarhatti airport since September 2012 and efforts are being made to provide the state capital with aerial connectivity at the earliest.

“We have completed work on carpeting the runway at a cost of Rs 7 crore. Infrastructure for having refuelling facility has been put in place,” said airport director Parwinder Tiwari.

He said the runway length had been extended from 1,189 metres to 1,800 metres and width enhanced from 23 metres to 30 metres, which would enable landing of ATR-72 instead of ATR-42 as was the case earlier.

He said a move was afoot to get the Jubbarhatti airport certified in the 2C category instead of the present 2B in view of the fact that the runway width had been increased.

“We are optimistic that flights will finally resume as representatives of Alliance Air are likely to be part of the team that will inspect the airport next week,” said Tiwari.

Once the go-ahead is received from the AAI to make the airport functional in view of the completed work, flights are likely to be resumed.

The teams will certify the safety and security aspect of the runway and other facilities. A crash fire tender has been bought from Austria at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore for any emergency situation. Precision path indicator facility has been provided at the airport.

The absence of flights from Shimla is a major deterrent for high-end tourists.

Local hoteliers have been urging the government to take up the issue of air connectivity from the state capital with the Centre.

The state has limited air connectivity with airports only at Bhuntar in Kullu, Gaggal in Kangra and Jubbarhatti. Plans to have an international airport have not taken off as suitable chunk of land has not been found yet.