Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will inaugurate the Bathinda civil terminal airport on December 11, while Union Minister of Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju will preside over the ceremony. The day will also mark the launch of first civil flight from Delhi to Bathinda of Alliance Air having the Union Minister Raju, Union Minister for Food Processing and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
Sharing this information, Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said that the terminal has been developed at a cost of around
`25 crore using glass and steel to allow maximum use of natural light.
The airport is laced with various passenger facilities such as conveyor belts, baggage area, fire extinguishers, car parking etc, he said adding that the terminal has been planned keeping in view its future needs.
He added that the airport was just 30 kms away from Bathinda railway station and seven kms from the National Highway-10 (Bathinda-Malout Road).
Thori said that Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, Airports Authority of India chairman Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla, among other dignitaries would also attend the inauguration.
The flights will run from Bathinda thrice a week every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Thori said adding that the aircraft will start from 12:15 pm from Delhi, arrive at 1:45 pm in Bathinda, and it will leave from Bathinda at 2:15 pm and reach Delhi at 3:45 pm.