Hry to extend existing airstrips in 5 aerodromes

| | Chandigarh | in Chandigarh

Haryana Government has decided to extend existing airstrips in five aerodromes of the State.

While Hisar Airport is being developed as International Aviation hub and would be extended to 9000 feet, the other four airstrips at Karnal, Pinjore, Bhiwani and Narnaul would be extended upto 5000 feet, a spokesman of the Civil Aviation Department said.

He said that to take maximum advantages of booming opportunities in the Civil Aviation sector, the State Government has decided to extend existing airstrips in five aerodromes of the state.

The four airstrips at Karnal, Pinjore, Bhiwani and Narnaul would be extended upto 5000 feet to accommodate medium sized aircrafts for various activities like parking, sub-basing; flying training as well as adventure sports for which the department had already published an expression of interest, the spokesman said.

He said that work is already underway at Hisar airport which would be ready for domestic flights under the regional connectivity scheme of the Government of India by end of July  as part of phase one of its development.

The airstrip at Hisar would be extended to 9000 feet alongwith state-of-the-art landing facilities by the end of next year to accommodate larger aircraft for parking, basing and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) activities envisaged in phase two of its development, he said.

The spokesman further said that the land for extending the airstrips was being procured purely on voluntary basis and there was no question of discrimination or coercion in the matter.

280 acres of land had been notified by the Civil Aviation Department on the e-bhoomi portal of the State Government under the policy for purchase of land voluntary offered to government for development projects. Under the two objectives of the policy, the farmers were assured of approaching the government as a potential buyer for its projects and the government could elicit if some landowners would be keen about the benefits of a particular project that they would be willing to sell their land to the government for it, he added.