Civil aviation clears construction of staff blocks at Ambala airport

Amid the prolonged wait for flight operations to commence at the domestic airport in Ambala Cantonment, the Civil Aviation Department has granted in-principle approval to the PWD (B&R) for construction of buildings for airport staff, security personnel and a canteen block.

The project, estimated to cost around Rs 1.20 crore, has been assigned to the PWD (B&R), which has set a target to complete the construction by the end of 2026. A tender for the work has already been allotted. Though it was earlier put on hold, the project will now resume following the client department’s approval.

An official said temporary porta cabins had initially been installed for airport and security staff, along with a canteen and guard room. However, the department has now decided to construct permanent structures. With the completion of these buildings, the first phase of the domestic airport project will be considered complete.

The official clarified that the pending construction would not affect the operational readiness of the airport. “The flight operations can be started. The runway of the Air Force will be used for the flights,” he said. After completion of booking, security checks and other formalities at the terminal, passengers will be transported by bus to the Air Force station from where they will board flights.

Sources said a second phase of the project has also been proposed, involving construction of a larger civil enclave building. Under that plan, passengers would board aircraft directly from the terminal area instead of being ferried by bus.

There have been repeated demands for early commencement of flight services. Recently, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee urged the government to start flights from Ambala to Hazur Sahib (Nanded Sahib) and Takht Sri Patna Sahib.

Executive Engineer PWD (B&R) Ritesh Aggarwal said, “The civil work of the terminal building was completed in August 2024 and the project is ready for the inauguration. A tender has been allotted for the construction of the additional buildings for the staff, as per the directions of the client department and the project will be completed by December end.”

On the second phase, he said, “Currently we have no directions or approval for the second phase. All the works are being executed as per the instructions from the civil aviation department.”

Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij said, “The domestic airport is ready for the operations and the security equipment have also been installed. The work related to a couple of new buildings is also set to begin soon, however the pending buildings have nothing to do with the operations and we are hopeful that the domestic airport will soon start operations.”

Ambala MP Varun Chaudhry said, “We have raised concerns related to the operations and routes under the project. A huge budget has been spent on this project and we hope that the fate of Ambala civil airport is not like the Hisar Airport where the government kept changing the usage of the facility. The pending works should be completed soon, it should have more bays and routes and the flight operations should begin soon.”