Halwara airport set to begin operations in September

The upcoming international airport at Halwara, located 40 km from Ludhiana in Punjab, is expected to be operational by September after initial setbacks. The Punjab public works department (PWD) aims to complete work on the terminal building by the end of July, with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) taking over once construction is complete.

The AAI is expected to take over in August, and tender floating and infrastructure shifting from Sahnewal is expected to take two months. Actual operations at the airport could begin in September, according to an official from the civil aviation department.

In his Budget speech for 2023-24, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had said that the AAP government had decided to contribute INR 57 crore towards the development of the terminal building at the Halwara Indian Air Force Station. The work is expected to be completed by May 2023, and flight operations are expected to begin by December.

The state government has initiated civil works worth INR 46.91 crore, including the development of internal roads, taxiway, apron, public health services, campus lighting, and terminal building. The taxiway is being widened and the approach-way from inside the terminal complex is being connected with the runway at the IAF station. Once operational, the airport will provide easier air travel for industrialists and students in Ludhiana and nearby districts.

According to a PWD official, bids have been allotted and work is progressing well. The airport terminal would provide connectivity to the Army area, and the contract for internal roads had to be terminated and reallocated, which initially caused some delays.