Inauguration of Halwara airport postponed

The much awaited inauguration of Halwara International Airport, that was scheduled to take place on July 27, has been postponed with no official reason cited for the delay.

Officials at the airport said that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had begun preparations for a virtual inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but these preparations have now been put on hold. Though no reason has been provided, sources suggest that the preoccupied schedule of the PM in Bihar election campaign could be one of the factors responsible for the postponement.

Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh Boparai, who is also Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee for Halwara and Sahnewal airports, said the Civil Aviation Ministry of the Union government has yet to give formal consent and approval for inauguration of the Halwara International Airport.

“I have discussed the issues related with completion of work at the airport and its inauguration with the Civil Aviation Minister,” said Boparai.

He added that according to the established protocol, he would be kept in loop before any date is finalised for the inauguration by the Prime Minister.

Earlier, Punjab’s Industries and NRI Affairs Minister Sanjiv Arora had made a formal announcement regarding the virtual inauguration of the airport by PM Narinder Modi on July 27.

The administration had also announced that the terminal building is fully operational, and the infrastructure required to start flights has been completed to the satisfaction of the AAI.

The Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain had on Tuesday assessed the progress of ongoing minor works at the airport, including CCTV installation and cleanliness. Jain also held a meeting with key officials from PWD, Public Health, PSPCL, AAI, NHAI, drainage departments, and representatives from contractual firms involved in the project.