Chandigarh 25 April:Bathinda today moved a step closer towards a place on the civil aviation map as Ministry of Defence gave its all important clearances for operating four civilian commercial flights daily from the Air force Station at Bhisiana. This was disclosed by Mr Harcharn Bains, to the Media Advisor Punjab Chief Minister. This would be the second major civil aviation project to be cleared for Punjab and comes close on the heels of the clearance of the Mohali International Airport.
According to Mr Bains the necessary clearance was conveyed to the Punjab government, through a special communication from the Ministry of Defence earlier this week. Initially four flights will operate daily between Bathinda and Delhi in either direction. Keeping in view the requirement of the defence base, these flights would operate between 10.15AM and 3.00 PM in order to avoid civil scheduled operations during low operational flying by fighter aircrafts.
A civil enclave would be constructed at the existing defence airfield to ensure prompt commencement of the civil operations. Additional land for this will be required by the State government for the Airport Authority of India.
It may be added that state-of-the-art new flying training Institutes/academies would be set up at Batala (district Gurdaspur) & Sri Anandpur Sahib. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence, GOI have also accorded its approval for setting up of flying institute at Faridkot.
The meeting was attended by Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Mr. Harcharn Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr. D.S. Guru, Secretary Civil Aviation, Mr. Viswajit Khanna and Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Gagandeep Singh Brar.