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Now, IAF Heritage Centre in Chandigarh expected to open in April
UT adviser Dharam Pal on Wednesday visited the centre to oversee the final preparations before the centre’s inauguration, which is expected to be attended by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh
After missing multiple deadlines, the IAF Heritage Centre in Sector 18 may finally see the light of the day in April.
Coming up at the erstwhile Government Printing Press building in Sector 18, the centre was initially slated to be launched on August 15, 2022, before its inauguration was pushed to January 2023 and then again to March.
On Wednesday, UT adviser Dharam Pal visited the centre to oversee the final preparations before the centre’s inauguration, which is expected to be attended by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh.
A team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) led by Group Captain PS Lamba, project director of the centre, was also present.
A senior UT official said the minister had been requested to inaugurate the centre, as it’s the first of its kind in the country, but an official confirmation was awaited.
The centre is set to have eight attractions in total, including aircraft models and weapon displays. The biggest attraction, however, will be its very own flight simulator. In addition, informative exhibits including aero engines, aircraft, kiosks and other air force artefacts, including machines/fixtures, films on achievements and personalities and guides, will also be set up. A souvenir shop will also be set up at the museum.
On August 27, 2021, the UT administration and the IAF had signed an in-principle agreement to set up the heritage centre in the presence of the then UT administrator VP Singh Badnore, following which a memorandum of understanding was signed in June 2022.
The centre will be maintained by the UT administration, while the weapons and other equipment will be set up by the air force.
