Regional flights from Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad likely from February-end

According to officials, the works for additional facilities like parking area at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad may take more time but the terminal facility may get a go-ahead for inauguration in February.

Residents of the National Capital Region will, in all probability, be able to take a flight from Ghaziabad by end of the next month. Officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday said that the project of civil terminal facilities for operation of the regional flights from Hindon airbase is likely to be completed by mid-February as 60% of the work is already over.

The facility is coming up at Sikandarpur near Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad whose runway will be used for operation of regional flights.(HT Photo)

“We are working round-the-clock for the development of the terminal facilities and hope to complete the facilities by mid-February. We are now working on the construction of the road to the airbase, power house of 11KV capacity and also parking area that can accommodate 110 cars. The terminal facility will be able to accommodate 300 inbound and outbound passengers per day,” an AAI official said, requesting anonymity.

According to officials, the works for additional facilities like parking area may take more time but the terminal facility may get a go-ahead for inauguration in February.

The terminal facilities are being developed over an area of 12,000 square metres for which the land has already been procured from local farmers and UP Avas Vikas Parishad. A major portion of the area — about 7,150 square metre — will be developed as green area. AAI officials said that they have also raised a demand for provision of 30 kilo litre of water per day from the municipal corporation for the purpose.

The facility is coming up at Sikandarpur near the Hindon airbase and will have an entry/exit area for passengers to move to the airbase whose runway has to be used for operation of regional flights.

“The beautification work will be carried out soon around the under construction facility and the demand for water supplies will also be provided. The work for streetlights in the area is also going on,” CP Singh, municipal commissioner, said.

The connecting road leading to the terminal facility is awaiting the temperature to rise. “We have completed the construction of 600 metre of the 680 metre connecting road for the project. We are still waiting for temperature to rise so that the black topping of the approach road can be completed. We are expecting the work to get complete by end of January or first week of February,” Manish Verma, executive engineer, UP public works department, said.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project was signed between the AAI and the UP government in July last year. As per the MoU, the UP agencies are to provide infrastructure facilities while the AAI will construct the terminal facilities.

The regional flight project is one of the two major projects in Ghaziabad which are nearing completion and likely to be inaugurated in February. The other project is 9.41km extension of Delhi Metro’s Red Line from Dilshad Garden to New Bus Stand. which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.