The Union ministry of civil aviation has sanctioned a grant of ₹40 crore to begin the construction of the domestic terminal at the Ambala airport, Haryana home minister and local MLA Anil Vij said on Tuesday.
The project is being taken up under the UDAN-3.0 scheme of the central government to boost regional connectivity.
Under the project, the terminal will come up near Mama-Bhanja Peer on Jagadhri road in the vicinity of the airforce station from where passengers will be taken on a taxiway to board the aircraft. For flight operations, the airforce strip will be used, officials had said.
“With this development, I hope the dream of having an airport in Ambala will soon become a reality. The process of construction of the domestic airport terminal will start now. The airport will facilitate flight operations to Lucknow and Srinagar,” Vij said in a statement.
After hanging fire for almost two years due to the selection of land, officials of the district administration, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Cantonment Board Ambala had met in April this year and mutually agreed on the land and gates of the proposed airport.
The officials agreed on the transfer of nearly 15 acres of empty defence land near the airforce station. It was agreed that one gate will open on the Jagadhri road and the other inside the station, so that the flight operations could take place safely.
{{/usCountry}}The officials agreed on the transfer of nearly 15 acres of empty defence land near the airforce station. It was agreed that one gate will open on the Jagadhri road and the other inside the station, so that the flight operations could take place safely.
{{/usCountry}}Vij had met defence minister Rajnath Singh at least thrice in New Delhi and defence officials several times in Ambala and Chandigarh to resolve the deadlock.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Ambala airforce station is home to Rafale and Jaguar aircraft and is crucial to the armed forces amid tensions with neighbouring China and Pakistan.
Earlier, the administration had identified land in Dhankaur, Dhulkot, Garnala and Barnala villages adjoining the station, but couldn’t proceed due to a range of issues.
Last week, Ambala deputy commissioner Vikram had visited the proposed site and chaired a meeting with the officials concerned, asking them to speed up the project.