Govt committed to modernise civil aviation infrastructure: CM

Jammu, Dec 3: Calling for timely completion of projects by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that the government was committed to modernising Jammu and Kashmir’s civil aviation infrastructure.

Chairing a meeting here at the civil secretariat to evaluate the functioning and working of the Civil Aviation Department, the CM reiterated his commitment to modernising civil aviation infrastructure in J&K, with the aim of boosting connectivity which would indirectly contribute to the growth of J&K’s economy.

Reviewing the budgetary allocations and financial progress under the Capex and Revex budgets, he directed officials to expand service to include point-to-point routes, particularly to far-flung areas, while ensuring optimum utilisation and sufficient load for each flight.

CM Omar emphasised the need to expedite land acquisition processes, particularly the vacating and transferring of land currently occupied by the Animal Husbandry Department to facilitate timely completion of the project by the AAI.

He encouraged actionable suggestions to address these challenges and ensure efficient project delivery.

The key areas of discussion during the meeting included the department’s aircraft fleet, revival plans, helicopter procurement, pilot training, and recruitment strategies.

The meeting included an evaluation of projects under the RCS-UDAN scheme.

Separate presentations were delivered by the Directors of Jammu and Srinagar Airports regarding the ongoing and proposed expansion plans for these critical facilities.

The Director of Jammu Airport presented an update on the New Civil Enclave Project informing the meeting that the total cost of the project was Rs 861.37 crore and approved cost being Rs 697.83 crore.

The meeting was apprised about the project’s completion period with physical progress of 16 percent achieved ending November and financial progress as on November 30, 2024, recorded as 14 percent.

It was revealed that the project would feature a centrally air-conditioned terminal building with a peak-hour passenger capacity of 2000 and an annual capacity of 4.5 million passengers.

It would include essential infrastructure such as fire and water pump rooms, landscaping, water and sewage treatment plants, and parking for 250 vehicles.

The meeting concluded with discussions on cost escalations affecting the hangar and annexe building projects.

A significant part of the meeting focused on the subsidised helicopter service operated under the Ministry of Home Affairs since April 2017.

It was noted that the service currently connects five approved routes – three in the Jammu region and two in Kashmir.

Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Additional Chief Secretary, Dheeraj Gupta; Secretary Civil Aviation, Aijaz Asad, representatives from the AAI, and the Directors of Srinagar and Jammu Airports attended the meeting.