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Mohali: Advisory committee urges upgrades, cleanliness at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport
The committee highlighted the importance of enhancing passenger amenities at the airport and increasing entry and exit points to ensure smoother access for passengers
A meeting of the Airport Advisory Committee of Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport was held under the chairmanship of member of Parliament Manish Tewari on Friday.
The committee highlighted the importance of enhancing passenger amenities at the airport and increasing entry and exit points to ensure smoother access for passengers. Additionally, it recommended extending the free parking time for vehicles from the current 10 minutes to 12 minutes.
The meeting raised concerns about the accumulation of solid waste near the runway approach, which poses a risk of bird strikes. The committee urged immediate action to address this issue and called on the Chandigarh rural development department and the Mohali municipal corporation to ensure the area around the runway was kept clean and well-maintained.
The advisory committee also stressed the importance of maintaining cleanliness at the airport and suggested that airline staff be sensitised to adopt a passenger-friendly attitude.
Tewari, chairperson of the committee, placed special focus on utilising the old terminal building of the airport. He noted that ₹45 crore had been spent on its renovation between 2011 and 2014, but it remained unused.
He proposed converting the old terminal into a fully functional Terminal Number 1, which could significantly benefit passengers travelling from Panchkula and Chandigarh.
Tewari also emphasised the need to designate the airport as a “Point of Call” (POC) for international airlines to facilitate direct international flights to and from the city.
The meeting was co-chaired by Anandpur Sahib MP Malwinder Singh Kang. Other attendees included committee members HS Lucky, Pawan Dewan, Chandermukhi Sharma, Gurmail Singh Pehalwan, Mohali deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police of Mohali, as well as officials from Chandigarh International Airport Limited and the Indian Air Force.
