Bathinda Airport
Bathinda Airport  Bhisiana Air Force Station | |||||||||||
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| Airport type | Civil Enclave | ||||||||||
| Owner | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Location | Bathinda, Punjab, India | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 662 ft / 201 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°16′12″N 74°45′20″E / 30.27000°N 74.75556°E | ||||||||||
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Bathinda Airport (IATA: BUP, ICAO: VIBT) is a civil enclave at the Bhisiana Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. The domestic air terminal is being built near Virk Kalan village, 20 kilometres northwest of Bhatinda, Punjab, India.
The Airports Authority of India has constructed the Bathinda civil enclave at a cost of Rs 25 crore on 42 acres of land. The apron will accommodate two ATR 42 type of aircraft simultaneously while the glass and steel terminal building will feature a VIP lounge, two check-in counters, a 30-seater security hold and two conveyor belts. A parking lot for 25 cars is also being constructed.[1]
Even after its completion since August, 2012, the Bathinda Civil Airport, one of the much- hyped projects, has remained a non-starter, following reluctance of aviation companies to start domestic flights from here. According to information, besides aviation companies, even the Union aviation ministry found the airport 'financially nonviable', after carrying out surveys on different routes - Bathinda-Jammu and Bathinda-Bikaner.
Union Cabinet minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal even went to the extent of saying that "You talk about the airport but even the Bathinda-Delhi Shatabdi Express is getting only 200-250 passengers".
People's Party of Punjab president Manpreet Singh Badal said the government has set its priorities wrongly as no one is interested to invest at Bathinda. He added "For this, the government has to industrialise Bathinda, but, unfortunately, no one is interested to invest in the state due to corruption and other faulty policies."[2]
References
- ^ "Bathinda civil airport gets ready for domestic flights after clearance". "Dailypost". 8 May 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
- ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/sukhbir-keeps-promise-with-mohali-bathinda-airport-still-a-dream/story-EH2IGLlw2vTcTSQBwjjXCP.html