The much-awaited Chandigarh international airport is expected to be operational from August. X-Ray machines and other infrastructure would be installed and security personnel deployed this month. This was disclosed by Punjab Chief Secretary S C Aggarwal during a high-level meeting held on Wednesday for providing the required facilities at the airport.

He also said that to facilitate late night international flight operations, the officers of Airport Authority of India have been directed to extend the watch hours of air traffic controller (ATC) upto midnight.

Aggarwal added that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had already taken up the matter with Union Defence Minister A K Antony to direct Air Force authorities to extend the ATC watch hours.

It was said that FlyDubai Airlines had intended to start operations from July, but due to the delay in setting up of required infrastructure, it could not start operations.

Catering to the needs of passengers of Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttranachal, the Chief Secretary said security personnel at the airport would be provided by the Punjab government, while computers and X-ray machines would be installed by the Chandigarh Administration and the Airport Authority of India, respectively.

Bus services connecting the airport to the inter-state bus terminus will be provided by the UT Administration.

Punjab Secretary (Civil Aviation) Vishavjit Khanna, Punjab Civil Aviation Director Gagandeep Singh Brar, UT Home Secretary Ram Nivas and officers from Airport Authority of India, DGCA, Customs department were present during the meeting.

FlyDubai postpones inaugural flight as night flying infrastructure not ready at airport

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