The LIDAR survey regarding construction of a greenfield airport at Nagchala in Mandi district should be conducted soon by the consultants WAPCOS Ltd to pave way for construction of this airport, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. After a meeting with the senior officers of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation last evening, Thakur said the state government was planning to construct a greenfield airport at Mandi which will not only boost tourism activities but will also prove important from strategic point of view. “The Finance Commission has also recommended Rs 1000 crore for construction of this airport. Besides this, Kangra airport also required expansion for facilitating operation of A-320 type of aircraft and presently, the airport is only suitable for landing 72-seater aircraft with load penalty. The officials of Airport Authority of India must direct concerned authorities to visit Kangra airport for feasibility study and OLS survey for extended runway and finalize the master plan as the state government has already conveyed the approval on draft master plan,” he said. The Chief Minister said that Kullu Airport also required expansion of the existing runway by 660 metres to avoid load penalty.This also required diversion of Beas river and the Airport Authority of India had visited the airport for OLS survey but the report was still awaited. He said that five heliports were also being constructed under UDAN-2 in the state, which includes heliports at Kangnidhar in Mandi district, at Sanjauli and Rampur in Shimla district, at Baddi in Solan district and at SASE (Manali) in Kullu district. “All these heliports would give a big boost to tourism development by providing better air connectivity to the high end tourists. Shimla heliport is nearing completion and trial landing has also been carried out by the GAD helicopter on 3rd January this year,” he said. The Chief Minister requested the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite the construction on all these heliports so that they could be completed within stipulated time period. He stressed on the need for night parking of helicopters of an additional FATO for atleast MI-172 type helicopter at Shimla heliport anticipating rush of flight at this heliport. The LIDAR survey regarding construction of a greenfield airport at Nagchala in Mandi district should be conducted soon by the consultants WAPCOS Ltd to pave way for construction of this airport, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. After a meeting with the senior officers of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation last evening, Thakur said the state government was planning to construct a greenfield airport at Mandi which will not only boost tourism activities but will also prove important from strategic point of view. “The Finance Commission has also recommended Rs 1000 crore for construction of this airport. Besides this, Kangra airport also required expansion for facilitating operation of A-320 type of aircraft and presently, the airport is only suitable for landing 72-seater aircraft with load penalty. The officials of Airport Authority of India must direct concerned authorities to visit Kangra airport for feasibility study and OLS survey for extended runway and finalize the master plan as the state government has already conveyed the approval on draft master plan,” he said. The Chief Minister said that Kullu Airport also required expansion of the existing runway by 660 metres to avoid load penalty.This also required diversion of Beas river and the Airport Authority of India had visited the airport for OLS survey but the report was still awaited. He said that five heliports were also being constructed under UDAN-2 in the state, which includes heliports at Kangnidhar in Mandi district, at Sanjauli and Rampur in Shimla district, at Baddi in Solan district and at SASE (Manali) in Kullu district. “All these heliports would give a big boost to tourism development by providing better air connectivity to the high end tourists. Shimla heliport is nearing completion and trial landing has also been carried out by the GAD helicopter on 3rd January this year,” he said. The Chief Minister requested the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite the construction on all these heliports so that they could be completed within stipulated time period. He stressed on the need for night parking of helicopters of an additional FATO for atleast MI-172 type helicopter at Shimla heliport anticipating rush of flight at this heliport.

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