AIA upgrade moving slow

Amritsar International airport (AIA) registered a record growth of 88.5 per cent in international air passenger traffic in last three years, which is highest in country, but its development is proceeding at its snail pace.

Touched by about 47 flights a week, 50 flights are still waiting to start their operations, but the lack of infrastructure is the main bottleneck in their path.

According to Airport Director V S Mulekar "Gross domestic product of any country is directly proportional to the growth of air ports. So, there is an urgent need to develope the airport. 40 per cent of the Delhi workload can be borne by this airport, if it is fully developed.

Moreover, 40 per cent of international air passenger traffic at New Delhi Airport is of Punjabi's, so there is immense potential.

In order to handle increasing traffic, there is a need of 1,000 acres of land. The state government should make a comprehensive and immediate plan to acquire land around the airport for expansion.

While doing so traffic projections for the next 20 years should be taken into account. Such space is direly needed for any delay in acquisition of land, as it may result in the adjoining land being colonised and commercialised in a haphazard and unorganised manner. There is a need to infuse about Rs. 1000 crore immediately to upgrade and expand AIA.

The latest renovated project i.e arrival and departure lounge, which is already running four years behind schedule is unable to handle the passengers load, thereby putting passengers in lot of trouble. The arrival and departure lounge has the capacity of handling just one flight at time. It takes approximately two to three hours to clear the load of one flight.

Moreover, capacity of cargo terminal has capability of handling one flight at time. (it takes approx. six to seven hours to load and unload one flight) Thus it requires immediate upgrade.

There is also an urgent need for Construction of parking and maintenance Aircraft Hangars. Apart from that construction of a parallel runaway to cater to increased air traffic. Basic passengers facilities like Aero bridges, to be constructed In order to facilitate the passengers from plying in buses from and to the aero planes

Also, the cargo handling at AIA is suffering as the issue of Cargo Custodianship at AIA has not been resolved.

The infrastructure created for the same is rotting since last three years.

Talking to Business Standard, BJP sitting MP from Amritsar, Novjot Singh Sidhu added," airport sare the engines of growth not only for the local areas but for entire surrounding regions. A case in point is New Delhi whose entire development was jump started by the Palam airport."

The same development can happen to Amritsar if the right policies and approach are adopted. The proper development of the Amritsar International Airport would start a chain towards the overall economic facelift of Amritsar and the state of Punjab. A large number of jobs would be created the number of tourists coming to Amritsar and Punjab would increase thereby resulting a greater foreign exchange inflow, increased tax collection and so on."

He further added that the state govt. is also grossly mis-leading the people of Punjab by announcing an International Airport at Ladowal one day and Halwara Airbase the next day.

The fact of the matter is that Airports Authority of India guidelines for setting up a Greenfield Airport clearly state that no Greenfield airport would be allowed within an aerial distance of 150 nautical miles of an existing Airport. "The Sate Government seems to be willingly and deliberately playing into the hands of the Land Mafia by making such statements," he said.