Bilasa Devi Kevat Airport
Bilaspur Airport Bilāsapura Havāī Aḍḍā | |||||||||||
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 Helipad of the airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Airports Authority of India | ||||||||||
| Location | Chakarbhata, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 274 m / 899 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°59′18″N 82°06′40″E / 21.98833°N 82.11111°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  PAB Location of the airport in Chhattisgarh and India  PAB PAB (India) | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Bilaspur Airport (IATA: PAB, ICAO: VEBU) is located at the village of Chakarbhatta, 10 km south of Bilaspur, in the state of Chhattisgarh, India. It is owned by the Airports Authority of India. In 1980s, airport was used by Vayudoot to provide flights to Bhopal and Delhi. Currently there is no commercial scheduled flight from the airport. It is currently being used for general aviation and pilot training.[1] On 6 December 2018 Bilaspur Airport got the commercial licence from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) for operating (42 seater Aircraft 2C VFR category) commercial flights.[2]
History
Built in 1942 it opened as RAF Station Bilaspur Royal Air Force (RAF), in the Central Provinces of British India. It was used as an airfield during World War II. It was used by No 267 Squadron, No 96 Squadron, No 10 Squadron and other units. It closed in 1945. After India was grant ed independence from Great Britain, the airfield was transferred to the Indian Government. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took control of the airport, followed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The Indian Army intends to take over the airport and establish a training facility for the special forces. The existing para-military commando training facility at Nahan, Himachal Pradesh is to be shifted to Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.[3][4] The Army wants use of the entire airport while AAI has made a "conditional offer" of parting with 377 acres while retaining 56 acres for a civil enclave.[5]
There are two additional airstrips near Bilaspur 1) Kota Road/Kargi Road unused since the Second World War. These are under the Defence Ministry. Mohanbhatha, Chhattisgarh 495112, Coordinates: 22.242859, 82.026388 2) Mulmula, Chhattisgarh Coordinates: 21°56'44.0"N 82°20'42.6"E - Private airstrip/helipad of Raymond/ Singhania Cement Factory
Structure
Elevation of the airfield is 276 metres above mean sea level.
Runway 17/35 is 1,535 metres long and 30 metres wide with turning pads at both ends. A 630 metre long taxiway connects the runway to a small Helipad cum apron.
The runway is too small for commercial aircraft like Boeing 737 and Airbus A 320, which need a 2,190 metres in length and 45 metres in width (6,860 ft.) takeoff distance. This means many low-cost carriers like AirAsia India and GoAir, which use a single plane type, cannot serve the airport unless the runway is upgraded.
References
- ^ "Sai Flytech Aviation Academy". www.minglebox.com. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ "Bilaspur airport gets commercial flight license". Deccan Herald.
- ^ "Helicopters recalled from UN duty to combat Naxals". Deccan Herald. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ Dholabhai, Nishit (5 August 2010). "Special forces school shift". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph (Kolkata). Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ "AAI has a list of grouses with Army". The Asian Age. 18 September 2010. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
External links
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