Jalandhar: Despite repeated claims and promises that much awaited domestic flights from Adampur airport will start this year, 2017 ends with people from Doaba, the NRI belt of Punjab, still waiting for the ‘maiden flight’ from Adampur to take off. A domestic terminal has already been built adjacent to the Adampur Airforce station.
In past four months even the dates for maiden flight were announced and changed thrice and now after missing the last day there is no word from authorities about a fresh date. With the starting of this flight people from region will reach Delhi in merely 45 minutes. The first date announced for maiden flight was September 26 which was later postponed to Diwali festival in October and then to December 1.
Earlier, even the Union Minister for State Vijay Sampla had said that ticket booking will be started by SpiceJet from November 1. Now, after missing December 1 deadline, there is no word from the minister about the new date. Sources at the Airport Authority of India (AAI) said that no air company is interested to operate here following the directions from AAI that the air service provider companies to operate from Terminal -2 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi for Adampur while the companies are interested from operating from terminal-1 of IGI.
Talks are on between the AAI and air companies over the issue, said sources. When contacted, Sampla said that he was busy in a meeting. Earlier, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had participated in “bhoomi poojan” ceremony for domestic airport on December 16 in 2016. Punjab government got constructed an approach road to Adampur airport at the cost of over Rs 16 crore.
26/12/17 Anju Agnihotri Chaba/Indian Express
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