Karnal aviation club runway extension project hits roadblock

Parveen Arora

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Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 25

The project of extension of runway of the Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, which is operational since 1967, for the landing of medium-category and small business aircraft has been hanging in the balance for the past one year.

As per the project, the length of the present runway of the aviation club, which is being used as general aviation and pilot training, is to be extended from 3,000 feet to 4,500 feet. For the purpose, around 22 acres are required.

Sources said the district administration had approached farmers for acquisition of land for the project, but one of them was not ready to accept the offer to exchange land due to which the project was held up.

Now, the administration has been exploring other options to extend the tarmac.

Earlier, the project of developing this club as a domestic airport had been dropped by the government. Around 500 acres are required for this project while the existing club has much lesser area. The announcement to develop it as a domestic airport was made in 2012 when the Congress government was in power. Later, CM Manohar Lal Khattar and MP Ashwini Chopra had also made it their poll promise, but the project remains a distant dream.

“We have approached farmers adjacent to the club for the extension of the runway to 4,500 feet. We are also exploring other options to extend the runway for the smooth landing of medium and small business Jet aircrafts,” said Karnal SDM Yogesh Kumar.