Flights from Hisar to start soon

With the Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to inaugurate the domestic flights from Hisar Airport on April 14, this ambitious project of the BJP government is set to see the light of the day, after a long wait and several ups and downs.

When was the proposal to set up an airport in Hisar conceptualised?

The BJP government announced that it would develop this as a full-fledged airport in 2014. The airport till now is managed by the Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation (HICA). It has provided flying and gliding training to the youth in the past. The airstrip was set up in 1967 and later the domestic flights started during mid-1980s, though it was discontinued shortly due to financial unavailability.

What is the current status of the airport in Hisar?

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted an aerodrome licence for the Hisar Airport, under the management of the Airports Authority of India on March 13 to allow the airport to serve as a regular landing and departure point for aircraft meeting specified operational requirements. It is being developed as an integrated aviation hub with airport and other related projects, including maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) being developed by the state government and has been planned to be completed in three phases. The first phase was completed in 2019. The air taxi services started from here under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) in January 2021 but discontinued in August 2021 due to non-viability.

What are the potential and future proposals at the airport?

This is the only airport in Haryana besides another proposal for domestic flights from airport in Ambala Cantonment. Some experts suggested to set up aerotropolis model positioned away from major cities to foster self-sustained urban growth. Hisar has been proposed as a potential aerotropolis due to its strategic location and growth potential. Situated 165 km from Delhi and 240 km from Chandigarh, Hisar is well connected via highways and lies in a region with no other major urban centres nearby, making it a viable independent growth hub, which is already established as educational hub and have industries such as Jindal Strips. Hisar’s proximity to Agroha and Rakhigarhi, growing tourism destinations are also an attraction. The government aimed at developing it as an international airport by 2030, with plans for a MRO facility, an aerospace university, industrial zones for aerospace and defence manufacturing, logistics and food parks across 10,000 acres. Hisar is at a distance of about 260 km from the newly set up airport in Jewar near Noida, which was planned to decongest the IGI airport in Delhi. Earlier, the Hisar airport was also mulled as an alternative airport but the project was bagged by the UP Government for Jewar.

When is it expected to be operational?

The Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced that the Prime Minister would inaugurate the flights from Hisar airport on April 14. The airport project is in the second phase now. The Haryana Government has partnered with Alliance Air to operate flights connecting Hisar to Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Ayodhya, and Jammu. The integrated aviation hub was being developed over 7,200 acres in Hisar. It has been bifurcated into segments - 4,200 acres for the airport and 3,000 acres for an integrated manufacturing cluster. The third phase of development of the airport is expected to start to transform it into an international airport by 2030.

What is the scheduled programme of the PM regarding airport in Hisar on April 14?

The PM is expected to inaugurate the domestic flights from here on April 14, which will be a major milestone of the second phase of the project. Then the third phase of its development will start.

n Why do the opposition leaders frequently criticise the project?

The airport project had turned into a political slugfest between the ruling BJP and opposition party. Congress MP Jai Prakash had alleged that the BJP government was misleading the people and even offered to resign in case the international flights started from here.