Jolly Grant airport nears completion

When a chartered Boeing 737 carrying foreign tourists landed during the weekend at Jolly Grant airport here, the cheer among the airport officials was palpable.

It was for the first time that a Boeing plane touched down on the airstrip, which was recently widened to facilitate the landing of bigger aircraft including Airbus-320. As soon as the Boeing landed, airport officials declared the airstrip fit for operation.

Welcome to the newly upgraded Jolly Grant airport here, which is now getting the final makeover for the inauguration in a month's time.

"Jolly Grant airport will be inaugurated in one month's time," said a top official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) here. The Centre has spent Rs 75 crore for upgrading the airport where only small planes used to land hitherto.

The Jolly Grant airport at Dehradun is being upgraded by AAI for operation of B-737/A-320 class of aircraft considering the traffic potential and requirement projected by airlines.

For this purpose, the government acquired land of all those people, who were rehabilitated in Athoorwala and Jolly Grant areas from Tehri. Night landing facility would also be provided at Jolly Grant airport, the officials said.

The newly constructed airstrip at Jolly Grant is now 7000 metres long and 150 metres wide.

Besides Jolly Grant, Pantnagar airport in Kumaon region is also being upgraded for Boeing and airbus operations at the cost of Rs 75 crores.

Deccan Airways, which used to ply a 45-seater service to both Pant Nagar and Dehra Dun from New Delhi before the upgradation work began last year, is contemplating a move to link Dehra Dun with Pant Nagar, an industrial hub in Kumaon region.

Further, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd also plans to connect important tourist places in Uttarakhand such as Ghangharia, Hemkund Sahib, subject to necessary permissions from the Union Forest and Environment Ministry.

The state government is also interested in upgrading airstrips developed at Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi and Chamoli. All these airstrips were not suitable for operation of 20/50 seater class of aircraft due to their location and surrounding terrain.

But for operation of ATR 42, the upgradation work at Nainisaini airstrip is being planned and an amount of Rs 22 crore has already been released for the purpose.

In addition to this, the government is also planning to construct at least one helipad in all the 13 districts headquarters of the state.