Airport in Maoist hotbed handed over to army

New Delhi: Located in a Maoist hotbed, the Bilaspur airport in Chhattisgarh will be handed over to the army. First reported in Hindustan Times on July 2, (Army wants Bilaspur airport) the AAI (Airports Authority of India) board cleared the Ministry of Defence (MoD) proposal last week. The
decision comes at a time there is strong possibility of the army being called upon to tackle the Naxal menace.
The AAI-managed airport, which could be at the centre of army's anti-Naxal operations — if and when it is asked to take charge — is not handling any commercial operations.
With a runway that is 5,035 feet (1,535 metres) long, it is suitable for operation of small, 20-seater aircraft like Dornier-228 class. At present, the civilian airports in Raipur and Jagdalpur are used by the armed forces whenever the need arises.
31/07/10 Tushar Srivastava/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Jul 2010