Hisar-Chd in 45 mins, maiden flight takes off
ibune News Service
Hisar, September 3
The travel time between Hisar and Chandigarh has been cut down to just 45 minutes with the launch of flights between the two cities. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today inaugurated the state’s first air shuttle service from the Hisar airport.
The SpiceJet airline’s seven-seater plane took off around 10.12 am carrying the Chief Minister, Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, MLA Kamal Gupta, ADGP CID Anil Kumar Rao and airline and aviation officials.
Khattar announced that the shuttle services would daily have two flights at 8 am and 4 pm while the flights from Chandigarh would take off at 9:30 am and 5.30 pm. The airfare has been fixed at Rs 1,674 for one way.
The Chief Minister said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had also approved the air service from Hisar to Delhi, Dehradun and Jammu, which would begin soon. After the environment clearance, an 18-seater plane would fly on these routes.
Khattar maintained that Haryana had become the first state in the country to take the special initiative for the enhancement of regional connectivity with air shuttle services on the guidelines of the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik).
He said that a large flight training organisation had also been set up at Hisar airport by SpiceJet for at least 100 cadet pilots per year, initially. The candidates with Haryana domicile would get 10% reservation and 50% fee waiver on tuition.
The CM announced that two meritorious girls from Haryana would get 100% fee concession for the entire training. SpiceJet had also committed to ensuring absorption as well as placement of 70 per cent of the pilot trainees.
The Integrated Aviation Hub at Hisar is a mega project of the state government which is being executed under the civil aviation department in a phased manner. The Phase-I was completed in record time by establishing the first Directorate General of Civil Aviation-licensed aerodrome of the state and terminal building at Hisar airport.
Overcoming the initial hiccups, the state government took around four years and three months to fulfil the promise of air services from here. The Chief Minister on December 29, 2014, had promised a full-fledged airport for the town.
Located along National Highway-9, the airport is managed by the Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation (HICA) and has been providing flying and gliding training to youth.
To save time, cut costs
The distance between Chandigarh and Hisar is 230 km and it takes almost five hours to cover it by road. There is no direct train service between the two cities. The air shuttle will save time as well as money as covering the distance by car costs almost Rs 3,000.
Soon, flights to Delhi, Jammu too
The Chief Minister announced that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had also approved the air service from Hisar to New Delhi, Dehradun and Jammu, which would begin soon. After the environment clearance, an 18-seater plane would fly on these routes.
