BackExpansion causes flight suspension at Dehradun airport
Expansion causes flight suspension at Dehradun airport
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PTI
DEHRADUN: Flight operations at the Jollygrant airport would be suspended for more than eight months from 1March to carry out construction works as part of its modernisation plan.
To give a new look to the Jollygrant airport, runways would be expanded, new terminal, air-control tower and lounges would be constructed, controller of the Jollygrant airport Ramesh Kumar said.
An estimated Rs72 crore will be spent as part of the expansion plan, which is being undertaken by the Airport Authority of India. The expansion work is likely to be completed by the end of 2007, he said.
The modernisation of the airport is expected to boost tourism in Uttarakhand, which was suffering due to non-availability of bigger aircraft like Boeing and Airbus. At present, only Deccan Airways is plying 45-seater aircraft between Dehradun and New Delhi.
Once the upgradation work is completed, the airport would be ready to receive Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft, officials said adding the runway is being broaden to 45 feet from the present 23 feet and its length would be doubled from the present 3,500 feet.
Efforts are afoot to connect Dehradun with various major cities of the country, including Mumbai and Chennai.
Meanwhile, nearly 65 families of the Tehri dam oustees, who were settled near the airport in 1980s, have been rehabilitated following the construction works.
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