Kangra, Jan 4 (Representative) Director of Kangra Airport Dhirendra Singh on Friday said that the number of passengers at Kangra Civil Airport is constantly increasing. Dhirendra Singh told UNI that 1,93,114 passengers arrived at Kangra Airport and took off from here in the year 2023 and 2,08,275 passengers arrived here and took off to Delhi and other parts of the country from here in the year 2024. He said that the airlines serving Kangra airport may increase their flight services after March this year. He said that the flight services may also start from Jaipur and Dehradun to Kangra airport. Among these, Indigo Airlines had released the schedule for operating its flight from Dehradun last year itself but due to lack of connecting flights from Mumbai or Bangalore airports at Dehradun airport, the flight from Dehradun to Gaggal airport could not be operated. At present, Alliance Air, Indigo Airlines and Spice Jet airlines are providing their services at Kangra airport. Among these, two flights each of Spice Jet and Indigo Airlines and one flight of Alliance Air come from Delhi to Kangra airport. He said that Alliance Air’s flight service comes and goes via Shimla on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It comes directly from Delhi to Kangra airport on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Meanwhile in view of the traffic at Kangra airport the expansion of the airport was proceeding fast.
As the expansion of Kàngra Airport is vital for the growth of tourism in the region, the government has distributed nearly Rs 300 crores among the landowners whose land is to be acquired in nearby area for expansion of the airport. SDM Kangra told UNI that till date nearly Rs 300 crore has been distributed as compensation among the landowners whose land was being acquired. He said that the government had initially released Rs 500 crore for distribution among the landowners. The SDM said that a total of Rs 2300 crore would be required for acquisition of entire land that has been notified for expansion of Kangra airport and another Rs 700 crores has been proposed by the government for relief and rehabilitation of the people being uprooted due to airport expansion. Kangra airport expansion needs, land of about 1,200 families from 14 villages to be acquired. For acquisition, the government has marked about 147 hectares of government and private land of 14 villages. which include 123 hectares of private and 24 hectares of government land. Bagh, Balla, Barswalkad, Bhedi, Dhugiyari Khas, Gaggal Khas, Jhikli Ichhi, Mugrehd, Sahoora and Sanaura villages under Kangra Assembly constituency are coming under the airport expansion.
Apart from this, Rachialu, Jugehd, Bhadot and Kiodi villages under Shahpur Assembly constituency will come under its scope. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had been actively pursuing the project of expansion of Kangra airport since the new government took over. In the budget passed by Himachal government the government has kept a provision of Rs 2,000 crore for the expansion of Kàngra airport. The locals, whose lands are to be acquired for expansion of Gaggal airport, have been opposing the project. An expert committee formed by the state government has urged the state government to consider the suggestions of people who would be uprooted regarding a satellite township that could be developed in a vicinity of 5 kilometres of the Gaggal airport. An amount of Rs 400 crore was sanctioned by the Central finance commission for expansion of Kangra airport. The expansion of Kangra airport was a major demand of the tourism industry of the area.