Himachal CM said that the move will not only improve air connectivity to the state but will also boost tourism besides generating employment opportunities to local youth.
New Delhi: A Joint Venture agreement for development of Greenfield airport at Nagchala in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at New Delhi on Monday.
Himachal CM said that the move will not only improve air connectivity to the state but will also boost tourism besides generating employment opportunities to local youth. The airport will also enable wide bodied aircraft which also includes landing of international flights.
He said that the Greenfield airport will be developed with a proposed runway of 3150 meters for which 2840 Bighas has been identified. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has also conducted the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) survey and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) survey.
Thakur said that according to OLS and LIDAR survey reports, the Airport at Mandi is feasible and suitable for round the year operations along with night landing and operation of AB-320 type of aircraft.
The CM also requested for landing of ATR 42-600 in Shimla airport and for flight operations to Shimla -Kullu – Dharamshala under UDAN II as priority area routes. He further requested to extend Chandigarh-Dharamshala route to Chamba under UDAN II besides extending Shimla-Rampur upto Kinnaur.
