Poor infrastructure dogs airports in Punjab

Non-upgrading of navigation equipment cited as the major problem

With the number of airlines expected to go up in the Punjab region, along with new connectivity for the Amritsar and Chandigarh airports, lack of infrastructure threatens to hold up progress.

The lack of runway space, navigation equipment, and a shortage of terminal space, has resulted in delays in the departure timings of flights for the past few days in the region. Besides, foggy weather conditions prevailing in the region form another impediment to the smooth functioning of airports.

With three airlines providing air connectivity to the Chandigarh Airport""Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Air Deccan"" limited space, and a clash in the arrival and departure timings of airlines are leading to passengers having a trying time. The airport has provisions for parking only two flights at a time.

However, the airport needs a further expansion to accommodate more aircraft, as well as handle additional passenger traffic, with proposals from Kingfisher Airlines and Indus Airways to start operations from the Chandigarh Airport.

Speaking to Business Standard, senior aerodrome officer AK Verma said flights would be rescheduled to avoid clashes. "We will ensure that there is a difference of half-an-hour in the arrival and departure timings of any of these airlines," said Verma.

The process of upgrading had been started, and that it would take time, he added.

Raja Sansi International Airport at Amritsar, handling as many as 48 flights every week, has 40 airlines lined up to start operations.

These include Malaysian Airlines, (Amritsar-Kualumpur), Phuket Airlines, and Jet Airways (Amritsar-Manchester) according to a senior official.

With a swanky new airport terminal coming up, it is the non-upgrading of navigation equipment (instrument landing equipment) that is irking officials. The instrument landing system being used currently belongs to Category I. Officials maintain it should be upgraded to Category II, with a dense fog enveloping the city.

SV Molekar, director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), said upgrading was justified with the density of traffic going up.

Most airlines operating in the region cash in on Punjabi NRIs and corporate passengers. Molekar said there were plans to draw more non-traffic revenue, by including food courts and entertainment floors in the airport, after a study carried out by Ernst & Young. "We hope to implement the project by 2006 or mid 2007," he said.

The Chandigarh airport is also looking to revamp the canteen managed by the Oberoi Group after its expansion.