In view of Hemkund Sahib yatra, which is going to begin by June 1, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has written a letter to Union Minister for Civil aviation P Ashok Gajapati Raju and appealed to start air services from Chandigarh and Amritsar to Dehradun on priority basis. He also requested to develop the Pantnagar airport as a cargo hub for export of perishable goods.
Restricted service of air India from Delhi to Pantnagar to be restored. Chief Minister informed that Civil Aviation authority has adequate land for developing the jollygrant airport into MRO. More parking bays and new terminal building may be constructed for international flights at Jollygrant airport as it increase the income of Airport Authority of India.
The CM asserted in the letter that Uttarakhand, for its beautiful tourism and pilgrimage destinations, is positioned in the international tourism map. Several thousand of tourists, including pilgrims visit the State round the year and this is one of the prominent sectors which contribute in promoting economic activities thereby creating local employment and revenue for the State. Because of the limited revenue resources, the State has been categorised as special category State by the Government of India. For promoting its tourism and other related activities the State Government has established a civil aviation development authority and under its wings it has three airfields in the hilly region and about 60 helipads being constructed. Augmentation of air services in Uttarakhand State is need of the hour and Union government’s kind cooperation is solicited on priority basis.
The State Government is ready to provide necessary land for the airports expansion. The CM requested that 24 hours operation of Jollygrant airport is necessary, especially night parking facilities which will facilitate a morning flights from Dehradun to Delhi and other places that is not available presently. Under the air navigation service, two airports in the State namely Dehradun and Pantnagar need upgrade to CAT-2 and CAT-I IlS facilities to ensure uninterrupted air services to these destinations.
The three VFR air fields in the mountain region of the State should be exempted from the licensing requirements by the DGCA to undertake commuter air line operation because state has limited land availability to meet the ICAO’s licensing norms. To promote the air connectivity in the State, 9-20 seaters aircraft should be allowed to the unlicensed airports, the State Government will extend all the infrastructural and services support for this.
On the lines of Chhattisgarh government , night landing facilities at the helipads under the central aid to be extended to the state on the airports/helipads which are close to Indo-Tebetan and Indo-Nepal borders.