Amausi's new terminal misses another deadline

Lucknow: Is the Airport Authority of India (AAI) looking for a 'special date' to inaugurate the new terminal at Amausi airport? The terminal was scheduled to be inaugurated on November 19, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. But as the terminal is unlikely to become operational by then, the authorities have cancelled the plan.
AAI sources claim that the terminal may take at least two weeks after which a trial of the facility will be done. This has led to speculation that the facility would be thrown open around December 9, which happens to be birthday of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Another date when the facility may be inaugurated is December 24, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. Amausi airport was renamed after him in July 2008.
Airport director Atul Dikshit confirmed that the terminal will not be inaugurated on November 19. "It will be only after a test trial of the facility in which aircraft will be brought in and passengers load shifted partially that we will be able to say anything,'' he told TOI.
A senior official associated with the project said a team of officials from Delhi is likely to inspect the terminal within a week. "Construction is almost complete. Allotment of plazas and offices to different airlines has been done. We are just waiting for the orders,'' a senior official in the construction wing of the AAI said. An official with a private airline said the allotment may have been done but the facility still lacks basic infrastructure facilities like furniture and other logistics to enable an airline to start working straightaway.
19/11/11 Pankaj Shah/Times of India

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Categories: airports Nov 2011