Baljek Airport
Baljek Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Government of Meghalaya | ||||||||||
| Serves | Tura, Meghalaya, India | ||||||||||
| Location | Baljek | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 536 m / 1,760 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°39′41″N 90°20′42″E / 25.66139°N 90.34500°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  VETU Location of the airport in Meghalaya  VETU VETU (India) | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Baljek Airport (ICAO: VETU) (also known as Tura Airport) is a public airport located at Baljek, 33 km (21 mi) North-east of Tura in Meghalaya, India.
The proposal for the airport was sent to the Central Government in 1983 and the project was sanctioned in 1995. The airport was inaugurated in October 2008.[1] It was built at a cost of Rs 12.52 crore and was initially designed to handle 20 seater aircraft like the Dornier 228.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is developing the airport for operation of ATR 42/ATR 72 type of aircraft.[2] The 3,300 foot runway will be extended by another 1,200 feet.[3] A total of 58 acres of additional land was acquired at a cost of Rs 2.58 crore to aid the expansion of the airport.[4]
No scheduled commercial air service are available at the Baljek Airport at this time. The nearest airport is Shillong Airport which is operating scheduled flights from Shillong to Delhi and Kolkata.
References
- ^ "President opens Baljek Airport- Thousands turn up for maiden touchdown". The Telegraph. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Better Air Connectivity for NE Region". Press Information Bureau. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "AAI plans to invest Rs 200 cr on airports in Meghalaya". Webindia123. 1 July 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ "Land acquired for Baljek Airport project". The Assam Tribune. 20 December 2013. Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.