Complete pending works of airport within 10 days: Vij

Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Saturday inspected the domestic airport, Ambala Cantonment, and directed officials to complete the pending work within 10 days.

The Cabinet Minister has been planning to get the inauguration done around August 15 for which he has already sent request letters to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini to fix a date for the inauguration.

Anil Vij said the Defence Ministry had allocated its land for the construction of the airport and the Defence Minister had played a crucial role in making it possible, thus, he had requested the Defence Minister to inaugurate it.

Speaking to mediapersons, Anil Vij said the airport was ready for the operations. The Civil Aviation Department had already issued orders for the appointment of two senior officials. While one officer had already joined, the other would join in a couple of days, and the remaining staff would soon be deployed. The MoU related to the airport had been signed and the Haryana Government would hand over the airport to the Civil Aviation Department. The physical possession will be handed over soon.

He said rooms for the airport staff and officials had been constructed. The installed X-ray machines had been checked by security personnel, furniture had been bought and other required arrangements had also been made.

Vij shared that he received a letter from the Union Civil Aviation Minister mentioning approval for three airlines to operate from Ambala. The letter also noted that other airlines had expressed interest in operating from the city. Initial flights will connect Ambala to Ayodhya, Lucknow, Jammu and Srinagar. He expressed hope that the flights to more cities would be added soon.

Vij said the Ambala Cantonment was a junction connected by trains and buses from various cities. In contrast, reaching Mohali Airport was difficult due to traffic signals and common congestion during peak hours. But Ambala Airport, located right along the National Highway, was much more accessible. Nearby states and regions like Himachal Pradesh, Western Uttar Pradesh and cities along the GT Road and adjoining districts, would benefit from easy access.

He said that Ambala might be the first airport in India located within the city. Even cities like Delhi and Chandigarh have airports outside their main urban areas. Another unique feature of Ambala Airport is its proximity to both the railway station and bus stand, just 2 kilometers away.

Earlier, during the inspection, Vij issued instructions to the officials from PWD, Public Health Engineering and other departments. He emphasised that the construction of staff offices at the airport was in the final stages and must be completed within 10 days. He also directed Ambala Cantonment SDM Vinesh Kumar to monitor the completion of remaining airport-related work.