Punjab to get third international airport

Representative Image

LUDHIANA: The council of ministers on December 3, 2018 approved the setting up of a new world civil terminal at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Halwara, 32 km away from Ludhiana.

Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab chaired a meeting in which the cabinet approved the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Airport Authority of India(AAI) for the project.

A spokesperson of the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that the AAI and the state government will develop the civil terminal through a joint venture company (JVC) which would be constituted for the purpose. The AAI would have the majority stake of 51 per cent in the JVC and the state government through the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority(GLDA,) will have 49 per cent stake in the project.

The state government will provide 135.54 acres free of cost to the JVC by way of its equity in the project. AAI will bear the capital expenditure on development of new airport. JVC would take care of the expenditure on operations, maintenance and repairs.
As per the spokesperson, the first phase of the project including the development of a new international civil enclave over 134.54 acres for full-fledged operations, will probably be completed within three years. The terminal will be capable to accommodate Code 4C-type aircraft. This indicated that the terminal will be able to handle bigger airplanes like the Boeing 737-700 and Airbus A-320.

The project aims to boost the economic development of Punjab’s business and industrial hub Ludhiana. It fulfills a long pending demand of the Ludhiana-based industry.

Ludhiana is Punjab’s greatest business town which is currently serviced by way of a small domestic airport at Sahnewal. The city has the benefit of being at the geographical centre of Punjab.