Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said direct international flights should be started from Chandigarh International Airport to Canada, United States and United Kingdom. Chairing a meeting to review the functioning of Civil Aviation department here at his official residence this morning, the CM said directed the state civil aviation department to immediately tie-up with the Union ministry of civil aviation and Airport Authority of India (AAI) for starting direct international flights from Chandigarh International Airport especially to Canada, US and UK. At present only two international flights are operational from Chandigarh International Airport to Dubai and Sharjah. Mann said since the major chunk of the Punjabi population is settled in various countries including Canada, US, UK, New Zealand and Australia, this initiative would facilitate the Punjabi diaspora settled abroad to visit their native places in Punjab in a seamless manner. To give impetus to the agro and food processing industry in the state, the CM also asked the department to immediately start cargo flights from Chandigarh International Airport so as to make Punjab an open market. He said this step would go a long way in giving much-needed boost to the export of food products across the globe in general and especially in supplementing income of state farmers manifold through this farmer-friendly initiative. Mann also asked the department to immediately convene a meeting with the Haryana civil aviation department for evolving a broad consensus on the name of Chandigarh International Airport at SAS Nagar (Mohali) to be named as Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali after the legendary martyr. The CM also underscored the need to make the International Civil Enclave at Halwara to be operational at the earliest so that the trade and industrial activities in the vicinity of Ludhiana- the state’s industrial hub could get a major boost. Emphasising the need to streamline the functioning of Punjab State Civil Aviation Council (PSCAC), Mann also asked the Secretary Civil Aviation to work out modalities for giving preference to the state youth in imparting flying training to be fully equipped as professional trained pilots. The CM also asked the department to intensify its efforts for the up-gradation of CAT-2 to the advanced CAT-3 system for facilitating the flying operations in the low visibility conditions, especially during dense fog in winters.

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