Despite increasing demand from entrepreneurs and other sectors, including tourism, for regular flights from the Pantnagar airport after suspension of the private-run Kingfisher air service about two years ago, the State Government seems to have badly failed to energise this airport in the Terai region of Udham Singh Nagar with regular flights.
The matter of concern is that after suspension of the private-run Kingfisher air service about two years ago, there is no regular flights from the Pantnagar airport, except a few occasional flights.
It is worth mention here that to have better air connectivity is useful for state like Uttarakhand in many ways. It can come in handy not only to provide modern and fast transport services to the people including the commercial sector but also in extending the much needed relief to the needy during critical times caused by the natural disaster like situation as has been experienced in the past.
But it is surprising to know the State Government has not only failed to resume regular flights from this airport as demanded by the businessmen from State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand ltd (SIIDCUl) industrial estate and other sectors during the past about two years, it has also been unable to expedite the modernisation plan of the said airport.
The fact is that delay in clearance of land has only put the modernisation plan of the said airport which is a long overdue, on the backburner.
As the aviation experts here believe, today upgradation of the Pantnagar airport is need of the hour following demand for flying bigger sized i.e. 100 seater plane from this airport of the kumaon region.
The demand for having regular flights is particularly from entrepreneurs at the SIIDCUl industrial estate. If the State Government is serious to boost industrial sector in the state, it must put in place basic infrastructure facilities like better transport services including air connectivity, said Surjit Kumar, an entrepreneur.
But the matter of concern is that despite increasing demand from the industrialists for regular flights from the Pantnagar airport, nothing has been done so far, he added.
At the same time, the experts here are of the opinion that in order to run regular fights and to fly bigger planes, expansion of the airport is a must. But due to delay in clearance of the piece of land, modernisation process of the said airport has not moved forward for many years.
In the meanwhile when asked about the issue of regular flights, M Sarkar, Director, Pantnagar airport, talking to The Pioneer, maintained that he had no information about resumption of the regular flights.
On the issue of non clearance of land for modernisation of the airport, he said that only the department concerned can tell about the land issue.